Pet
by Random Dispatcher
Summary: The Dursley's make a run for it when Harry's numerous Hogwart's invitation letters arrive  they don't stop on that little island, they stop when the owls stop  when the family arrives in Sunnydale, California. BTVS Crossover  Slash
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I only own the Kylar Demons – Everything else belongs to Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling.

_A/N: I so shouldn't be posting this but here's chapter 1. Probably not going to be even a semi-stable update schedule on this but maybe posting this chapter will jump start the rest of it. It will be slash (do I write anything else?). Just for clarification - (it's explained in the context of the story but just so you're not confused straight out of the gate - Harry has not been to Hogwarts yet - I've just got the Hogwarts year 2 up here so you can keep track of where we are.)Enjoy!_

Chapter 1

Rollerboy

_(BTVS Season 2/Hogwarts Year 2)_

Harry landed with an 'oomph' on the hard concrete floor and he couldn't stop his wince at the cold metal snap of a shackle and lock around his ankle.

Then the vampire was gone.

Cautiously the boy sat up and flexed, making sure everything still worked properly. Fledges were notorious for not caring what shape their food was in when they ate it – but he had no intention of sticking around to be eaten. Deciding that everything _was_ indeed working, he cupped both hands around the shackle and concentrated.

The sharp click and spark of a lighter froze him mid-breath. Consciously he regulated his breathing and heart rate; fear would only start a frenzy. Moving only his eyes he searched for the source and found only the red glow of a cigarette in the darkest corner of the dimly lit room. He moved his hands deliberately from the shackle to rub at his calf and knee, as if they were sore from the fall.

'_See, not trying to escape here. Not scared. Not bloody. Not worth eating…'_

"A step up from a puppy anyway," a British accented voice sneered from behind the cigarette and moved forward.

Or rather rolled forward. Harry was unable to hide his surprise at the incongruous sight before him – a vampire in a wheel chair – a red wheelchair. A Master vampire at that, since he was still alive to be in a wheelchair, and powerful too if his instincts were right.

"Well come on boy, lets get this over with."

Harry didn't move, "I'll make an awfully scrawny meal, don't you think?"

The vampire rolled closer to the boy and to the single candle flickering in a rusty sconce high above Harry's head. A coherent description wouldn't form in Harry's mind, merely a chain of words that seemed more fitting than any poetic rambling.

Predator/Danger/Blonde/Sharp/Feral.

And he was. And the boy knew this vampire, by reputation if nothing else.

"Spike," he whispered.

The vampire cocked his head, "And how is that a mite like you knows about the Big Bad?"

"Homeless kids on the streets of Sunnydale haveta make a living some how, yeah? I deliver messages for the Ky-lar demons and since they like keeping their messengers alive, they give me the heads up on the Hellmouth happenings."

* * *

Spike felt his eyes go wide. This scamp of a child was a Ky-lar pigeon? The Ky-lar were snake demons and were very secretive about what ever it was they did. They had never caused him any trouble and so he didn't bother them. The only real thing he knew about them was that they used messengers to keep in contact with other Nests of their kind. The messengers were called pigeons for two reasons, the obvious reference being messenger pigeons and the other…well if one of their messengers showed disloyalty then pigeon wound up on the menu.

"Where are you from kid?" It was refreshing to hear another Brit voice.

"Surrey."

"How'd you wind up in Sunnyhell?"

The boy grinned at the moniker. "July before last all these owls started showing up at our house in Surrey. My Uncle got really upset about it – he has…had this thing about appearances and appearing normal. So he packed us all up and we kept moving. The owls kept coming until we got here."

"What happened to them?"

"A few months later, around Christmas they – my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin – got eaten by…something. Still not sure exactly what it was."

The boy frowned and Spike had to cover his grin with his hand. He was just so… cute.

"So you've been on your own for what? A little over a year?"

He nodded.

"Why didn't they put you in a home or send ya to some other relatives?"

"Let's just say that the police didn't realize that there was more than one kid in the house and my teachers don't ask as long as there's a signature on my papers. I've got a friend who looks after me."

"Must be a good friend."

The boy grinned, "The best – but don't ask me where he lives, okay?"

Spike rolled his eyes, "You're a cheeky monkey aren't you?"

"Trying to make an impression here; hoping to live another day or three."

Laughter rang off the concrete walls and Spike was surprised to find it was his own. It seemed like forever since he'd had a reason to laugh. With Dru getting hurt in Prague, then his injury and now with Angelus…

He snarled at the thought of his Grand-Sire and the boy at his feet flinched. It was a nearly imperceptible movement but the vampire noticed it. Gold rimmed blue eyes studied the boy again.

Owls meant Wizard and their persistence indicated power, as did the Kylar's interest in the boy – they didn't deal with humans except to eat them. Add to that the fact that the boy had survived so long on a Hellmouth…

An idea was forming in the back of his head and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"So you're against being on the menu, eh?"

The boy cocked his head to the side and Spike was struck by just how _green_ his eyes were… they almost seemed to glow in the darkness. White teeth worried a small bottom lip.

"Well… I wouldn't mind donating but I'd kinda like to have a heartbeat when you're done."

Spike smirked, the boy was a treasure.

"What's your name boy?"

"Harry – Harry Potter?"

That name sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't think of why.

"Nice to meet you Harry, I'm Spike or William the Bloody of the Aurelius Clan and I have a proposition for you."

Harry crossed his legs Indian style and sat straighter, "Okay."

"Since you don't want to get eaten, and I need to eat, how about you become my Pet?"

"A Pet," Harry repeated, frowning. "What exactly would that mean?"

"A Pet! You'd sit at my feet and do Pet things?"

The boy quirked an eyebrow and Spike was beginning to regret opening his mouth, "What, like play with a ball of yarn or something."

The blonde snorted, "Mostly you'd just help me get food, lure it in or somethin'. Maybe help me get dressed and clean until I heal up… I'd feed from you occasionally but you'd recover from it faster than a normal person would."

Spike found himself staring at his hands – he didn't know why this was bothering him so much, if the boy didn't agree he would just eat him and go on… but he'd never had a Pet before and from what little he knew about it it was an intimate position.

"There's more to it, isn't there."

'He's not stupid,' Spike thought before saying, "I'll drink some of your blood and you'll drink mine. You'll have a permanent mark on your neck that will let other demons know you belong to someone. I was told that a Pet always knows when their Master needs them and vice versa."

Harry pondered that for awhile and Spike lit another cigarette.

"What happens if I say no?"

The blonde exhaled a cloud of smoke, "You go back on the menu."

"Ah."

Harry stood, dusting off his ragged jeans and exposing the tears in his faded charity shop red ET t-shirt, "Okay, so how do we do this?"

Spike thought it was funny that the boy still kept himself outside of his reach. "You're gonna sit in my lap while I bite you. Then I'll ask you to be my Pet and when you say yes I'll feed you some of my blood."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Why do I have to sit in your lap?"

Spike rolled his eyes again, "Mostly for comfort and so you don't fall on your ass when I bite you. Not that you aren't a pretty little thing but I'm not in to kids." He leered, "In a few years though…"

Harry snorted, "Whatever."

Spike rolled the chair forward a bit, well into the area of motion allowed by the chain but not close enough to the boy to panic him.

Harry took a deep breath before carefully wriggling his way onto the chair straddling the vampire's black denim encased legs.

Spike was surprised by how light the boy was, "Well you don't weigh anything at all!"

Harry gave him an unfriendly look, "Told you I'm too scrawny to eat. My relatives didn't think feeding me was a priority, now could we get this over with please?"

The boy turned his head to the left exposing the right side of his throat and Spike had to struggle to keep his true face hidden. Gently he took Harry's chin in hand and turned his head to the right, "Pets are marked on the left side of the neck."

As were Mates. Spike had always wondered about the symbolism but Aureliuns were not ones for taking Pets or Mates and he wouldn't dream of asking a Master outside their line that kind of question.

His demon visage slid forward as he gently licked the boy's neck. A vampire's saliva confused a human's nerve receptors turning pain into pleasure. They could make their bite very pleasurable, they just generally didn't care enough to.

Gently he pierced the skin; he heard Harry's shocked gasp and felt the little body in his arms shudder and then nothing else mattered as he swallowed his first taste of Wizard blood.

Flames danced through his body and stars exploded behind his eye lids. This… this was life, pure life sliding down his throat. This would heal him, make him whole… this would make him stronger than he'd ever been…

The flow stuttered and Spike jerked himself back. Harry hung limp in his arms, barely breathing, barely alive.

"Bollocks! Harry, can you hear me? Harry?"

He shook the boy. He had to be awake to complete the ritual or the vampiric blood would kill him – he needed a Pet, not a pint-sized fledge.

"W-what," Harry whined, a barely there sound.

"Will you call me Master?"

"Sssure."

"Will you serve me in all things?"

"Yes."

"Will you be mine?"

"Yes."

"Forever," Spike growled before biting into his wrist and then placing the wound to Harry's lips. "Drink my Pet and enter into your Master's service."

He didn't know where the words came from but they seemed to resonate in the room around them.

With Harry's first swallow Spike felt a shockwave shoot down his body making all the hair on his body stand on end.

This boy was something special and Spike was never going to let him go. This… Harry Potter was _his_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Spike stared down at the pale boy sprawled unconscious across his bed – the bed he'd shared with Dru up until only a few weeks ago, before he'd been crippled by the bloody Slayer.

And now this; saddled with a Pet.

What had he been thinking?

He hadn't been, as usual. He never thought things out and so things never turned out the way they were supposed to.

Granted it was usually more fun, but still. What was he supposed to do with a kid? How exactly was the kid supposed to help him? Sure he had Wizard blood, but no wand and no teaching.

What the bloody hell had he been thinking?

"Oh my, little William, what have you done now?"

Spike had to forcibly stop himself from stiffening as Angelus' taunting voice filled the room. He felt his grandsire step behind his chair.

"Made me a Pet; a demon's got to eat and if I want anything besides doggie scraps, I figured I'd have to get me some help."

Large hands threaded through short bleach blonde locks and Spike couldn't stop a shudder.

"You broke a millennium of Aurelius tradition for this… whelp?"

Spike had to think fast, he had to make the boy valuable enough to keep alive but not tempting enough to try to steal.

"He's the first thing I've gotten that wasn't mostly dead since you showed your poncy self."

Angelus snarled, pulling the hair in his hands making the blonde wince.

"Besides, he's got potential. Seems willing to do whatever I want. Always did want a lap dog." The big Irishman never liked anything that didn't put up a fight.

Spike lit a cigarette as the brunette released him and moved closer to the bed to inspect the blonde's prize.

Angelus examined the boy idly before swooping for Harry's neck. Spike almost crushed his cigarette before he heard the other vampire inhale deeply, scenting the boy.

Gold eyes looked into blue, "He's got magic in his blood. Power."

Spike shrugged, taking another drag. "A Wizard, I'd say; but unschooled and a bit broken. His folks tried to beat the magic out of him."

"I should kill it."

"Then I'd still need to be fed and you'd still have to hear me bitch about needing to be fed."

"I could supplant your mark."

"You choice Peaches, but it would probably kill 'im, scrawny as he is now. Then I'd still need to eat."

Angelus looked down at the boy with a thoughtful expression, absently running a finger over a faded lightening bolt shaped scar on the child's forehead.

"Look, if it makes you feel better, when I'm back on my feet I'll eat 'im, okay?"

"Just make sure he's litter trained – I don't want his functions stinking up the place."

"Right 'o," Spike called, shooting a two fingered salute at his retreating grandsire's back.

* * *

Harry woke later, somehow knowing that Spike was asleep and sharing the bed he found himself on. He was lying on his left side facing a wall; Spike must be between him and the door.

There was a rustle of scales and Harry couldn't stop the fear that froze him in place. He hadn't really considered how his employers would take him becoming a Pet to a Master Vampire. Ky-lar were rather possessive and not know for their forgiving natures. It was likely he was about to die.

He couldn't make himself move – as if a part of him still thought like other children, that if the monster doesn't see you then it can't hurt you. Distantly he realized that the candle in the room had gone out and he shouldn't be able to see anything. He could, not well, but he could see enough to make out the heavy serpent that pulled itself up onto the bed and coiled near his belly.

"Harry, Harry, Harry. What have you gotten yourself into now," it hissed in annoyance.

"Sarsuf?"

"Of course you silly boy, who else would it be?"

"One of the Sassins?"

The snake snorted, as well as one could anyway. "Soft in the head, you are; you've been Seen boy, got lots to do before you're done, this is just a part."

"I've been Seen?"

"'Course you have; you think the Ky-lar allow just anyone into their nests? And you've nearly had the run of the place. You're special Harry, and Leader has always known.

* * *

Spike listened to the hissed conversation and tried to fight off his body's reaction to their sibilance, a reaction that was wholly inappropriate considering he was in a bed with a twelve year old.

Finally he rolled over, "Who's your friend, Pet?"

He flicked his lighter and, reaching across the boy, lit one of the candles half melted onto the nightstand's top.

"This is Sarsuf… I'm not really sure why he's here…"

They started hissing back and forth again and Spike took the opportunity to study their visitor. A dull red color, it looked like a normal snake except for the bright yellow eyes and… antlers, little miniature deer antlers on its head.

"Sarsuf is here to help us on our journey."

"What journey?"

"Our destined path, the Ky-lar Leader can See the future and he's Seen us. Sarsuf says we have things to do and he's here both to observe and, if needed, help out."

Spike snorted, "If you say so Pet. Now go back to sleep. As soon as the sun sets we're going out to get me a bite to eat, yeah? Earn your keep and all that."

"Okay."

"Yes Master," Spike corrected. "You're my Pet, got to give me the proper respect and all that."

"Yes Master," Harry repeated with sarcasm practically oozing everywhere and a roll of his emerald green eyes.

Instead of throttling the boy or smacking him around, which he would've done to any Minions who did the same, Spike snorted again and blew out the candle.

* * *

Spike woke next to a screeching Drusilla beating on his chest, her sharp nails clawing at his face. He flung her across the room and jumped to his feet – or tried to, he wound up rolling off the edge of the bed and onto the concrete floor with a crack.

The willowy brunette stood against the far wall near the door, chest heaving unnecessarily and eyes wild – well wilder than usual.

"Dru, what the hell are you doing," he roared, wiping at the blood trickling down his cheek.

A peek back over the edge of the mattress revealed a now awake and upright Harry with a coiled and angrily hissing snake in his lap; a snake whose antlers were slowly turning red. He didn't know much about demon snakes but he had a feeling that that was a bad sign.

Drusilla clenched her hair in her hands and wailed, "Little snake – put his fangs into my Spike! Trail of breadcrumbs that I can't see! The stars lied! THEY LIED!" The last was a shriek and she lunged at the bed again only to be caught by Angelus.

"What is going on here," he growled.

Spike flinched in spite of himself. Angelus had always been volatile but since his 'return' well… unpredictable was an understatement.

"Dru jumped me – she's having one of her spells," he answerd, levering himself back onto the bed.

Drusilla was still screeching about lying stars and poisonous snakes.

Angelus looked from Spike to Dru, back to Spike until he finally back handed the female vampire, knocking her out.

"I don't think she likes your new Pet, Will. I'd keep an eye out for him if you want to keep him. You know our Dru likes 'em young."

The bigger vampire tossed Dru over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "The Gypsy teacher is a witch; she's who Dru saw in her last vision. I'll deal with it tonight. Be prepared for retaliation from the Slayer – I doubt it will be much but she'll definitely do something."

Spike merely nodded. Angelus was underestimating this Slayer and it was going to get them all killed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

That evening Harry helped Spike in the men's showers. One of the minions had reconnected the water but it was cold without electricity. Still, the vampire was in a much better mood afterward.

Spike dressed in his usual black jeans and t-shirt with a red silk over shirt. The trademark leather duster was left behind and his very noticeable white-blonde hair was covered by a faded baseball cap.

He was hoping that his and Harry's combined auras would keep the nastier denizens of the Hellmouth away while their apparent physical frailness would attract humans to them.

He wasn't planning on going far from the factory so they shouldn't have to worry about rivals or Master-less minions, and the majority of the demon elements generally stayed north of the Bronze. While the club was close, it wasn't that close. They shouldn't have any problems.

Of course this was the Hellmouth.

Going out was a risky which was why he hadn't done so before now. Vampires were like sharks – any sign of weakness and they would attack; much as he hated to admit it, he was only alive because of Dru and Angelus. Dru had been strong enough to keep the minions in check when he'd first been injured, but she wouldn't have been able to keep it together for much longer. Only Angelus' return had stopped the minions impending mutiny.

He also didn't want to be recognized.

He was injured but alive – it should have been an indication of his Sire's favor, but as Angelus and Dru refused to feed him… well going out to find food just displayed to anyone and everyone that his Clan didn't care what happened to him. He existed in a strange place, Outcast and a Master. In demon circles, ambiguity got you killed.

"Stay close Pidgeon."

Harry didn't respond, just stepped a little closer to the wheelchair as they moved down the dark street.

Spike stopped just before the mouth of an alley, wrapping a hand around the boy's arm to stop him.

"Here, just a little ways in. There's somebody sleepin'. Go lure him out to me."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know," he hissed, "figure it out!"

* * *

Harry found himself shoved into the alley. Biting his lip, he moved further in.

"H-h-hello?... Can somebody help me? My brother… he fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him. Hello?"

Harry saw the man finally and deliberately tripped over his sleeping form.

"Oh I'm sorry! Please, please help me!"

The man blinked and slowly sat up. Harry could smell the alcohol on him but grabbed his hand anyway.

"Please Mister, my brother fell out of his wheelchair and I can't get him back in."

The drunk slowly got to his feet, muttering under his breath about 'brats and cripples'.

Leaving the alley Harry found that Spike had actually flipped the wheelchair and now sat on the cracked concrete sidewalk looking pitiful.

"Oh thank goodness," the blonde said, "Didn't relish spending the night out here. Harry, if you'll right the chair then our Good Samaritan can just put me right in and we'll be on our way!"

"Hey," the man protested, "what's in it for me?"

Spike frowned, his fake cheerfulness dimming, "Well I could pay you I suppose."

Bloodshot eyes narrowed with greed, "Well let's get you taken care of then!" The bulky man moved in, and Harry wasn't sure if it was to help or to rob, but in a blink Spike had somehow managed to pin the man on the ground and was efficiently draining his blood.

It was over very quickly after that. Harry was surprised to find that he was not upset about the man's death. He merely held the wheelchair steady while Spike pulled himself back into it and the retrieved the cap lost in the brief struggle.

"A little stale, but better than dog. Come on then, let's try for one more."

Harry just nodded his agreement and they moved on.

* * *

When they headed back to the factory two hours later, Spike had actually claimed three more victims – another homeless man and two high school girls who'd gotten lost on the way to the Bronze. One of the girls had nearly gotten away and it had taken some quick maneuvering on the vampire's part to catch her – well that and the strange fact that if you scare a blonde girl she will inevitably fall flat on her face trying to run away.

Of course Spike had been ranting for the last twenty minutes about Harry being useless and not helping and finally Harry snapped.

"Piss off you rat bastard!"

Spike rolled to a stop and blinked at him.

"I did so help or did you miss all the 'luring' going on? I took enough flak off my relatives to last a lifetime and I'm not about to take it from you. I'm twelve! In case you hadn't noticed. I might not have a problem with you helping people get their very own Darwin Award, but I'm not going to hold them down for your or hurt them. They're your dinner, if you can't get 'em after I practically gift wrap 'em for you then that's your problem, not mine!"

* * *

Spike studied his Pet; green eyes blazing in a flushed face, heart racing a mile a minute and a fine trembling shaking his body.

Absolutely beautiful.

And spunky.

Oh yes, his Pet definitely had potential.

"Right then," the blond said, setting his chair in motion once again, "let's go make sure your little snaky friend hasn't burned the place down, yeah?"

* * *

If you don't know what a Darwin Award is – just go to Darwinawards dot com 


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I'm not that wild about this chapter but it serves it's purpose. Things will hopefully start picking up after this (hopefully). All the underlined bits in this chapter are direct quotes for the the season 2 episode "Passion". Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4**

_Later that night, close to dawn…_

Spike and Angelus were arguing. Harry stood in the doorway of this and Spike's room unashamedly eavesdropping – it wasn't like they were being quiet and he'd learned quite early on that good manners offered little protection from the world while information could save your life.

Harry gasped.

He knew that name! Angelus had killed woman, Jenny Calendar. She was one of Xan's teachers. The older boy was mad at her now but Harry knew he'd still be upset about it.

Spike was angry that Angelus hadn't just killed the woman – he'd taken the body to the Watcher's house and set things up like a romantic rendezvous. A surprise.

Angelus was sick.

"I love a good slaughter as much as the next bloke, but his little pranks will only leave us with an incredibly brassed off Slayer," the blonde said in response to Drusilla's attempts to end the argument.

**"**Don't worry roller boy," Angel taunted, "I've got everything under control."

Harry head glass smashing from the main room and the unmistakable roar or flames; he peeked around the doorway but couldn't see around the turn of the hallway.

Sarsuf hissed angrily behind him and used his leg to climb up his body. "There is a fire Harry. We must leave this place."

Harry nodded in agreement but didn't move. He could hear fighting – flesh impacting flesh, and grunts.

Then Spike said, "Uh-uh, no going into the ring unless he tags you first."

Drusilla must have tried to help whoever was fighting, most likely Angelus, but who was he fighting?

"Alright, you've had your fun," Angelus growled, "but you know what it's time for now?"

"My fun," a female voice asked, followed by more fighting sounds.

Spike came around the corner being pushed by a nearly running Drusilla.

"Outside Pigeon, Slayer's here."

Harry nodded and jogged ahead of the pair up the delivery ramp and out into the night, careful to keep Spike between him and Drusilla. The female's demonic face had appeared as soon as Harry had joined them and he didn't want to provoke the unstable vamp anymore than he already did by breathing.

They moved north, towards the Bronze and Angelus caught up with them about fifteen minutes later looking battered and slightly singed – and angry. Really angry.

"Who would've thought old Rupert would have it in 'em."

"That's why you don't tease Slayers, mate."

"It all went according to plan, except for the Watcher showing up – that was an added bonus."

"And was burning down our home part of the plan?" Spike stopped and turned the chair to face his grandsire. "If so I'd have to say 'good job'."

Angelus growled, "Like you'd know the first thing about good planning."

"I might not be good at following a plan, but I can certainly recognize a bad one when I see it, and this was a _bad plan_!"

Angelus loomed over the seated blond but before he could tear into his grandchilde Dru moved between them.

"Now, now boys. It's time for bed. You can play your games another time."

Spike tilted his head to the left, "So where to oh fearless leader."

Angel snarled, a lion-like sound, but did not answer.

After a few minutes of silence Harry spoke up, "I know a place – if we hurry we can make it before its too bright out." The sky was getting noticeably lighter. "I just need to make a phone call first."

"What, going to make sure it's okay with your mommy first," Angel mocked.

Harry just kept his face bland and waited for a nod from Spike. When it came, after a considering look, Harry jogged to the phone booth at the end of the street. It still amazed him just how many pay phones there were in Sunnydale – especially in the age of the cell phone.

He didn't have any change; instead he put the headset to his ear and stood on his toes to get his right index finger over the coin slot. Concentrating hard on the phone he felt a tingle run down his arm and through the finger. The phone clicked and Harry dialed quickly.

Tripping the money sensors of machines was something he'd picked up before he'd left England. He'd had just enough change scrounged for a candy bar on one of the very rare outings with his 'family' and the snack machine had eaten one of the coins. Harry had been so angry – he'd wanted that candy bar so bad after all the insults and taunting he'd endured… The machine had just started spitting out snacks, all the snacks actually. He'd gotten his candy bar and since then he'd honed the skill to an art. He wanted to try an ATM machine but they had cameras…

An answering machine finally answered as he'd know it would, "Hey, sorry I haven't called. Wanted to let you know I was stayin' at Cousin Tony's for a bit but he's got some company and said I couldn't have any friends over. He's being a major arse over the whole thing. I heard about your teacher – I'm really sorry about that. I'm sorry I can't be there. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll call ya in a couple days. Stay safe."

When he turned around he found the three vampires right outside the booth. He'd know they were likely to hear what was said, even if they'd have stayed where he left them, that's why he hadn't used his friend's name.

"All done," Spike asked.

Harry nodded.

"Then lead on Pigeon, I don't fancy gettin' a tan."

Harry turned and off they went.

* * *

Spike watched his Pet move around their temporary shelter in pleasant surprise. Harry had taken them to Tony's Storage, a large fenced in lot containing mostly derelict shipping containers. The one they were in was obviously a place Harry had spent a lot of time. There was an old sleeping bag, several battery powered camp lights, some clothes, books and toys. 

A trap door had carefully been cut into the bottom of the container with hinges and a lock added. Spike had asked about that but Harry had said only that a friend and fixed it up for him.

Harry had provided them a place to escape the sun – and he'd done so with no prompting and no threats. There was no way the boy would have known that if Spike died, he likely would has well.

Angelus grabbed the boy when he got too close, jerking his head back by the hair, "How did Spike get in here when we needed an invitation."

"Oy," Spike yelled, he was rather curious himself on that point but it was no reason to rough up his Pet.

Surprisingly it was Dru that answered from her place on the other side of the container, behind Angelus, "He hold's the birdie's leash, he does. Can go anywhere it goes."

It was the most she'd said since the factory – his Dark Princess was sulking.

Spike narrowed his eyes, "I'll ask you to let go of m'boy Angelus."

The dark vamp just growled at him and turned back to the boy, "So you've got a friend who knew Jenny Calendar?"

Harry heard a hiss and Angelus only just managed to jerk his hand away when Sarsuf struck at the offending limb. The snake continued to slither from Harry's shirt collar until a large part of his body was curled around Harry's neck and shoulders.

Sarsuf was hissing indignantly about filthy scum manhandling his hatchling, among other more colorful epithets and Harry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

Spike had told him he had to be careful of his crazy grandsire and that meant displaying as few of his 'powers' as possible, including talking to snakes.

"What in all the hells is that," Angelus growled.

Harry scuttled carefully over to Spike who had turned on a camp light and made himself comfortable on the sleeping bag in the corner.

"Demon snake," the blonde answered. "It wandered into the factory and took a liking to the boy. Figured I'd let him keep it as long as it doesn't bother me; might make a good familiar for the boy if I can get him a wand."

Angelus unconsciously rubbed the hand that had almost been bitten, staring at Harry with mistrust. "What about the teacher boy – how do you know her?"

"She taught a required class at the high school. Half the kids are taking her class and the other half already have. My friend was in one of her classes."

"You wouldn't know a Buffy Summers now would you?"

"Pretty, blonde and a troublemaker – that's all I know. My friend isn't exactly a social butterfly if you know what I mean. What little I've heard's been from him."

"And who is this little friend of yours eh?"

"Nobody the Scourge of Europe would be interested in." That was a lie, but hopefully Angelus wouldn't realize it.

Angelus growled again but didn't press it, "You keep that thing under control boy, or I'll make sure you both wished you'd never been born.

Harry turned away and rolled his eyes. He'd heard better threats from grass snakes. He did wonder though if Angelus had been talking to him about Sarsuf, or to Spike about him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

They had stayed in the cargo trailer for a week before Angel found them a new place to live, an old abandoned mansion on Crawford Street, and in that time a certain Xander Harris had made an impression on the big vampire. Harry couldn't decide if it was a good impression or a bad one – vampires had such a skewed perspective on such things – but it certainly was not a good thing to have happen. Getting Angelus' attention was like poking a badger with a stick – a big, demonic psycho killer badger.

Xander had stood toe to toe with the brunette vamp and backed him down, defended a sick Slayer with nothing but words. Harry was impressed. Angelus was downplaying the whole thing of course, but with as much bitching as he'd done about the incident Harry could tell he was impressed too.

He just prayed it didn't get his friend killed.

Spike was steadily getting better. Taking multiple victims each night followed by a nightcap of Harry's own blood had the blonde taking his first shaky steps their first night in the old mansion – in the privacy of their own room. He seemed reluctant to share his progress with his Sire and Grandsire, though Harry supposed that was no big surprise really.

Angelus' taunting was reaching new heights everyday and Dru still teased them both when the male vamps were in a room together, but if Angelus left she became a distant, watchful creature.

A quiet Dru was a dangerous Dru – or so Spike said and Harry was inclined to believe him. Harry was sure she was the real reason he wasn't allowed to leave their room even though Spike blamed it on untrustworthy minions. Hell, the only minions left were Angelus' own and they could barely blink on their own for fear of being staked by their unstable maker.

Harry had only managed to call Xander once more since the factory burned and Harry was getting a little desperate. They never went for long without seeing each other – mostly to verify with their own eyes that nothing 'Hellmouthy' had happened to them.. Yes, he was worried about his friend, but he knew Xan would be more worried about him and wouldn't hesitate to send the Salyer out after him if the teen felt the need. He had to figure out a way to ditch his 'Master' for an hour or so so he could meet up with his friend.

They were going out tonight and Spike was nearly one-hundred percent. Perhaps…

* * *

Harry was still trying to think of something an hour after sundown as the pair circled Sunnydale Gerneral – it was really amazing how easy it was to find victims here.

He was going over the tidbits of information he'd gleaned over the last few weeks trying to find something he could use… Angelus had been possessed by a ghost and forced to kiss the Slayer – nothing there really, although Spike had gotten a jolly good laugh out of it. Angelus had come in a day or two ago complaining about a boy whose blood tasted like a fish which had led to yet another encounter with the Slayer. Perhaps that…

"Oi, Pidgeon, down that path there – smells like someone left us a choice morsel; powerful, but nearly gone."

Harry followed the vampire with a grimace – he hated leftovers, they were the only victims of Spike's that he felt bad about, the human ones anyway. Leftovers were just as likely to be demonic as human – folks who'd lost a fight but whose opponent hadn't quite finished them off.

Spike apparently wasn't opposed to scavenging.

"There we are."

The blonde slid out of his wheelchair and crouched on the ground near the dying teenager sprawled in the grass, crooning softly. Harry couldn't see what was wrong with him in the dark but he could smell the blood and if Spike was making those soothing noises then the boy was close to death. The noises were to calm the victim so they wouldn't panic and bleed out before the vampire got his piece.

"Well, well, well. We got us our very own White Knight," Spike whispered.

Harry blinked, registered the comment and then launched himself at the pair.

"Xander! Oh my god Xander, wake up! Wake up!"

Spike had his brunette friend cradled in his lap on the ground, Xanders head was back, his face hidden against the blonde's shoulder but a sliver of light from a street lamp showed the blood and bruises trailing from scalp, over cheek and jaw bones to disappear beneath his shirt collar.

Harry felt the tears start as he looked up into golden eyes.

"Please – please you have to save him!"

"Pet, I'm a vampire not a doctor, even if I was there's nothing to be done. He's only good for a snack at this point."

"NO," Harry screamed. "You have to do something – anything! Turn him! Make him like you!"

"He won't be the same Pet. It wouldn't be your Xander."

"I don't care! He can't die – he can't! Please, please Master! Please turn him."

Spike stared at him so long that Harry felt sure Xander would died there between them but finally, finally Spike lowered his head to his bruised throat.

* * *

Spike stared at the naked seventeen year old on his bed – one Alexander Lavelle Harris – or at least his corpse. While Spike could sense the soul still lingering in the boy's body it was only a matter of time before the demon summoned by the turning entered it – tomorrow at the earliest, the day after that at the latest.

He'd never made a Childe before, and now he made one out of a Scooby. The White-bloody-Knight. The boy had already started to develop a reputation among demonic circles and standing up to Angelus had cemented it. A respectable reputation would be ideal in a Childe except it was Alexander Lavelle Harris.

If the Slayer didn't kill him for this then Angelus certainly would.

What had he been thinking?

A thunk from the adjoining bathroom reminded him – he'd been thinking of begging, wet emerald eyes. His Pet, who'd finally called him Master of his own free will and meant it, had begged him, trusted him damn it all to make it all better.

"Bollocks," he muttered.

There'd been a fragileness in those eyes, a brittleness. He'd known Harry was a tough little bugger but in that brief moment he'd realized that Xander was all Harry had left. His parents were dead, his aunt, uncle and cousin as well. By all accounts Xander Harris was the only person in Harry's life at all – except maybe for a Kylar demon or two, but somehow he didn't think that counted.

Then, too, were the gale force winds that had come from nowhere once Harry had realized it was his friend lying in a pool of his own blood.

Harry would have broken if Xander had died – he may still break depending on Xander's shiny new soul replacement.

Sitting in the dirt at that hospital, the blonde vampire had gotten a tiny glimpse of the true power locked up in Harry's small body, a power that could level this town at the very least if this went pear shaped.

Of course he hadn't turned the Slayer's whelp out of fear – no, he'd honestly not wanted his Pet hurt. He'd wanted Harry's happiness and approval.

"Bollocks."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Oh looky – it's another update! Aren't you happy? Well you may be but the folks reading my HP/Naruto fic are pretty po'd at me right now – I haven't updated that fic in forever! But I'm still working on it – just stuck on a transition period. Anyway – several of you have asked about where this story is going and of course I'm not gonna tell you – that would spoil the surprise! We will see the Harry Potter cast – never fear, but its several chapters away. I don't know if I'll do a chapter just focused on them to tell you what's happening with them or not – kinda doubt it but we'll see. Anyway – enjoy! (Next chapter is going to be a long-y… tease, tease.)_

**Chapter 6**

Xander screamed and screamed and screamed. He couldn't stop – didn't want to stop. It hurt – everything hurt. There were… _things_ fighting in his chest and he was one of them and he had to win and had to beat them but he _was_ them and screaming and screaming.

He saw golden eyes above him and he wanted to go to them and run from them and _hurt_ them and, oh god, just make it stop!

* * *

Xander's convulsions had knocked the teen on to the floor before Spike had even realized what was happening – which was lucky since Angelus had nearly knocked the door down once the screaming started.

The bed concealed the identity of his new childe and Spike couldn't be happier for it.

"Having a little fun William," Angelus drawled.

"Not really, silly ponce broke already."

Spike leaned over the side of the bed and punched his childe in the face hard enough that the screams changed to pitiful whimpering. "Typical So-Cal vegetarian metro-sexual, wasn't even worth the effort."

Angelus grimaced and backed from the room, "I'll just leave you to it then."

The blonde smirked at the closed door. The dual deterrents of a human vegetarian and one that was so weak that a crippled Spike could break him and be disappointed had worked perfectly; his secret was safe for just a bit longer.

A noise from the bathroom brought his attention to a sleepy Harry peeking out of the small room – Spike had set him to sleep in the tub until the new vampire awoke.

"What's going on," the boy murmured sleepily, rubbing at his eyes.

The whimpers were getting louder.

"Xander's awake Pet, you need to stay in the bathroom, yeah? He might hurt you right now and he'd never know it."

Harry nodded and shut the door.

Something was wrong here and Spike breathed an unnecessary sigh of relief at Harry's easy acceptance and then, much to his surprise, found himself airborne.

Xander was screaming again when he hit the ground, rolling quickly to the side he barely avoided a kick to the head. The blonde couldn't, however, dodge the punch to the stomach or the follow up hit to the face.

He stumbled back clutching his stomach – that had _hurt_ – and watched the boy throwing punches wildly at the air. Apparently Spike wasn't the only monster the fledge was fighting, just the only real one.

He needed to restrain the boy – if the noise didn't stop soon Angelus would be back to investigate and then they'd all be dead.

Xander turned and Spike threw himself at the teenager's broad back, hoping to overbalance him.

Xander, however, just shrugged him off.

Spike took three more punches to the face before he managed to get the boy on the ground but the teen wasn't giving up, and Spike was taking more damage than he'd ever dreamed possible from a fledge.

They were fighting all out now, both of them in 'game-face', growling, kicking, punching and clawing.

Xander had woken up feral. It was a rare thing, a thing spoken of only in whispers; a Siring gone wrong, a raging beast that killed everything in its path, even its own Sire if it could.

Xander had to be destroyed.

The blonde had just been tossed into another wall when he heard a sound that sent ice down his spine.

Harry had opened the door.

Spike launched himself at the Wizard, hoping to knock him back into the bathroom only to miss by a breath – Xander snatched the boy out of reach.

Grasping the frozen child to his chest Xander was snuffling his neck while backing into the corner furthest from Spike.

Cautiously the blonde rose to his knees, watching the fledgling slide down the wall, Harry lay pliant but plainly terrified in the brunette's arms.

Xander kept his eyes on the other vampire the entire time and Spike finally noticed them – they were vacillating from their natural brown to an eerie green, to black, to gold. As he watched, the colors changed faster and faster until his eyes finally flared with a bright white light and Xander whispered "Harry," before slumping back against the wall, unconscious.

Spike and Harry both sat frozen for what seemed like an eternity before Harry worked up the nerve to try to move away from his friend but the arms crossed over his chest tightened visibly and the teens lip curled back exposing a fang – a fang in a very human mouth.

* * *

Harry watched Spike get to his feet and pick up a broken chair leg from the floor.

"I want you to stay still Harry – this'll only take a second," he said quietly.

Harry's eyes widened, "No!" He hissed angrily. "You can't stake Xander."

"He's not Xander anymore Pet – not your Xander," Spike whispered. "Something's gone wrong – he's not even a proper vampire. He's feral – he has to be destroyed before he kills us all."

"You don't know that! It's Xan – I can feel it!"

"Oh you'll feel something all right when he wakes up and tears out your throat."

"He won't! You stay away! Leave Xan alone!"

And then, much to his humiliation, Harry began to cry - great heaping sobs.

Spike lowered his makeshift stake but did not back away.

Harry couldn't stop crying – couldn't close the floodgates. He hadn't cried in years; since the night he realized that his Aunt and Uncle hated him and there was nothing he could do to change it. He cried for all the things he'd done, all the things he'd lost and for the one last thing he had left that he was going to lose.

Xander. His only friend. The one person in the world who cared what happened to him. What was he supposed to do without the boy who camped out with him at Christmas and had given him his real present, the boy who did the Snoopy dance and shared his comic books with him, the boy who knew Harry could _do_ things and wasn't afraid?

Purring.

Harry sniffled, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from only to realize that it was Xander. Xander was purring.

"Bollocks," Spike muttered before dropping his stake.

The blonde dragged his wheelchair over to the door and tipped it on its side. It wouldn't stop anyone getting in but it would make a racket and warn them of a visitor.

Sarsuf slithered his way out of the bathroom and curled himself in Harry's lap as Spike grabbed the tattered comforter from the bed and sat beside his unconscious childe.

"The White Knight turned Red, but still the One Who Sees," the snake hissed.

"What," Harry asked.

"Nothing silly boy."

Spike ignored the exchange and merely tucked the comforter around them, carefully maneuvering to get his own arm around Xander's shoulders without waking the brunette.

"I'm going to regret this," the blonde whispered. "You'd best hope your friend here kills Angelus before he kills us so I can at least see the expression on that wanker's face when he's dusted."

Harry snuggled closer to the two vampires, as best he could anyway, scared but too tired to get too worked up.

"Yes Master," he murmured.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Xander woke with a groan – he'd had the strangest dreams – there had been vampires, and a hyena, and a soldier and a swim-team-fish-monster and they'd been fighting each other, only he was them and…

He tried to shake his head but he couldn't move. A lifetime of 'unfortunate incidents' at school told him he was in a headlock… and somehow Harry was asleep in his lap.

"Come back to yourself have ya now," a British accent murmured in one ear.

A British accent he'd never forget, "S-Spike?"

"The one and only. Now tell me Luv, got any psychotically violent urges rattling around in that head of yours?"

"No more so than any other seventeen year old high school student."

"Not very reassurin' there."

"R-right, sorry. I'm feeling the d-distinct urge to cower or, or run. Running is good."

The arms around his head tightened momentarily before relaxing and settling around his neck.

"Now let's not have any of that. You wouldn't want to wake Harry, would you? He's been worried sick about you."

Xander's arms tightened around his friend, "Why is he here with you? Why isn't he dead?" He kept glancing at the vampire from the corner of his eye.

Where Angelus/Angel had always struck Xander as an overgrown bully, Spike had always intimidated him on a much more sinister level. He felt there was more to the blonde than they'd seen.

He stiffened as pale fingers stroked Harry's hair.

"He's my Pet, been helping me heal up."

"Your slave you mean."

Spike smacked the back of the teen's head, "Fat lot you know whelp. Doesn't the Watcher teach you lot anything?"

"Well what more is there to know? Have stake, will dust!"

"How you lot have managed to live as long as you have is absolutely beyond me."

"You're not trying to tell me there's more to you bloodsuckers then, well, bloodsucking and evil badness?"

"Us, pet, us bloodsuckers. In case you haven't noticed, you've been inducted into the club."

Spike continued to talk but Xander didn't hear him. It couldn't be true, could it? Xander Harris, a vampire? It was laughable. He didn't feel demony, not like he'd know what that was really, but he was sure he'd notice if he did.

Besides, he still had… a… heartb-

"Oi! Are you even listening to me?"

Xander shook his head frantically and pressed a hand to his chest. There was nothing there to feel but skin. No comforting thud-thud, nothing.

"Spike, I don't have a heartbeat! Why don't I have a heartbeat? And why am I naked?"

He knew his voice had climbed to dog-whistley octaves but couldn't seem to care. He had no heartbeat and was naked, sitting next to Spike – Spike who said he was a vampire now and he had no heartbeat and that meant – but it couldn't mean –

Spike slapped him_. Hard_.

"Calm down whelp – don't need you having another episode like you did this morning. Besides, you're scaring Harry."

Xander looked down and found that Harry had slid off his lap and actually had moved behind Spike, putting the vampire in between the two of them.

Harry was scared – of him.

A dry sob escaped the teen. "I'm sorry Harry. Please don't be scared of me – not of me." He held out his arms and almost starting crying when the boy scampered into them. He hadn't lost his Harry.

"Right, now if you two are done blubbering at each other we need to set a few ground rules. Harry there is my Pet and that means no snacking on him – ya got me whelp?"

"I wouldn't-"

"Next rule is that I am your Sire, so you'll do whatever I tell you to, whenever I tell you to do it. Got it?"

"You're not the boss of me!"

Spike snarled and Xander flinched, "I bloody well am the boss of you boy. You push me and I'll introduce you to demon style discipline real quick like, yeah?"

Part of Xander wanted to agree with whatever Spike said, was practically screaming at him to apologize and ask for forgiveness, but another part of him wasn't having any of it.

"You just back off you – you undead loser guy!"

Spike growled, a low forbidding noise that had Xander's unnecessary breathing speeding up and all the fine hairs on his body standing up.

"Go in the bathroom Harry and shut the door. This time don't come out until I tell you too."

"But Master-"

"NOW!"

Harry went but didn't close the door. Spike didn't seem to notice. He just tossed the blanket that had only barely been preserving the teen's modesty and straddled the now naked lap.

* * *

Spike straddled the boy, bracing his arms on the wall on either side of Xander's head.

Something still wasn't right here, Fledges, be they Minion or Childer obeyed their Sire. It took decades for a vampire to mature enough to be able to disagree with their Sire, never mind flat out argue. He may have never made a Childe of his own before but he'd been one once and seen plenty more made and this was far from normal behavior.

The boy had woken a full twelve hours before even the earliest riser Spike had ever heard of, then there was the glowing eyes episode. The boy hadn't tried once to feed on Harry or even mentioned being hungry when he should be ravenous and just this side of a bloodlust.

The boy didn't cower, didn't beg forgiveness or grovel on the floor, he just sat their looking nervous and embarrassed.

Spike leaned in, his gold eyes staring into warm brown hoping to find a clue as to what was going on. The boy had a proper demon – he'd seen it as they fought but it did not come forward now as it should have when faced with its Sire's anger.

He inhaled deeply, pulling his Childe's scent into his lungs. He smelled himself, as he expected, the chocolate scent he'd always associated with the Scooby, the coppery scent of a vampire and –

"Bloody Hell!"

Xander flinched again, "What! I didn't do anything!"

Spike ignored the babbling and took another deep breath trying to sort through the myriad of scents that now danced around the boy.

"What are you boy," he growled.

"What are you talking about? I'm just a kid – only you said I was a vampire now. Am I? 'Cause I'd be happy with not-"

Spike put his hand over the teen's mouth with a grimace. "Harry, I think it's time you told me the truth about your friend here."

"Master?"

Spike growled again, "Tell me, right now."

Harry moved closer but stayed out of arm's reach, "I don't know what you're talking about Master. Xander's just your normal high school student."

"My arse. Normal high school students aren't friends with the Slayer."

"But he is."

Spike shook his head, "Something just doesn't add up here… when we found you I smelled power, old and dark power. I can still smell it, but it's muffled," Spike cocked his head consideringly, "almost like its hiding from me."

"What were you doing at the hospital anyway," Harry asked a little desperately, trying to change the subject.

The blonde recognized what he was doing but didn't call him on it; he was curious too.

"S-supposed to get a blood transfusion."

"Why," Spike demanded. "You're not sick."

"The coach was dosing the swim team with demony fish hormones and they started turning into fish people. I got exposed so me and the non-fishy team members had to go get blood transfusions just in case but when I met up with them…" Xander tapered off and Spike could see the pain the boy's face.

"Go on then Xan," he coaxed, "What happened next."

Xander took a deep unneeded breath, "They were angry 'cause their coach got killed – eaten by their fish buddies. Said it was me and Buff's fault that they wouldn't get to go to State and all their wins this year were getting stripped 'cause they were doping. They said they'd make sure I knew to mind my own business from now on."

The brunette had closed his eyes during the story and Spike muttered, "Sunnydale's White Knight, nearly killed by a bunch of high school jock bullies."

Xander flinched.

Spike couldn't stop himself, he nuzzled the white neck in front of him trying to comfort his confused Childe, "Now then, not picking on you boy; sure you gave as good as you got. It's just not right that a bloke with your reputation should be killed by human children – not right at all."

Xander sniffed, "Story of my life – a guy with my reputation should bleed to death from a donut box induced paper cut. Now there's a fitting end to the Xanman."

Spike frowned but didn't comment on that, instead he went back to their current mystery.

"So, demon fish hormones explain the slightly briny taste to you. Now what about the other?"

Xander lifted his head, "What other?"

"Well for one, your eyes glowed green this morning for an instant before glowing white."

Spike hadn't thought it possible, but Xander actually got paler.

"Green?" It was a whisper.

"Green," Spike confirmed.

"Sundown," Harry crowed happily, clapping his hands together.

"What?"

"Sundown," the boy repeated.

"Sundown is a Hyena Primal spirit that possessed me last year," Xander explained quietly. "Giles said she was gone, said the ritual pulled her back out when the zookeeper got eaten, but it didn't. She used up almost all of her strength but she stayed, sleeping in the back of my skull. Getting stronger. She'd talk to me sometimes… I feel kinda like I did then, when she was in charge… only I'm in charge."

Spike watched the boy intently during his rambling explanation and not once did the boy look up at him or at Harry – just watched the floor like it held the secrets of the universe.

"She," Spike questioned.

"I got the alpha spirit and Hyena's are matriarchal."

Harry sat Indian style near the pair, "She called me cub and spent the night with me at the trailer."

It was clearly a happy memory but Xander merely nodded, confirming the events but nothing more. Spike noticed he had not regained any of his color – in fact his lips were gaining a blue tinge. Spike recognized the signs but he wanted his Childe to make this step on his own.

"And the gun powder scent?"

Xander flinched again – Spike was going to have to do something about that – and again it was Harry that supplied the answer with a laugh, 'Johnnie! Remember Halloween Master? Xander was possessed by a soldier's spirit 'cause of that Chaos spell. I liked Johnnie – he called me sonny all the time.

Another nod from the naked teen.

"So fish demon, Hyena Primal, soldier spirit, vampire and there's something else…" Spike moved his face in against his Childe's neck and took a deep breath – and reared back with a snarl.

"Bloody hell! You've got a soul!"

Xander finally looked up at him, eyes wide and afraid, "What?"

The blond took another sniff to be sure, "Only got the Poof's scent to go by, but I'd bet my duster you've still got your soul."

"B-but now can that be," Xander stuttered.

"I don't know, but I sure as hell intend to find out," Spike growled jumping to his feet and stalking across the room to the battered dresser.

Pulling on his clothes h tossed black sweatpants and a hooded sweat shirt to the fledgling.

"Get dressed," he ordered. "You too Harry."

"Where are we going," the Wizardling asked.

Spike answered only because his Pet hadn't paused putting on his clothes.

"To the Watcher's house."

"No," Xander cried, trying to put his sweat pants on while sitting on the floor. "You can't tell him about this! He'll tell Buffy and she'll stake me and Willow will cry and – "

"Shut it you," Spike roared.

Xander shut up, wide-eyed.

"The Watcher won't say anything. Slayer's already off her game with Angelus dogging her heels. What do you think it would do to her to lose her White Knight, hmmmm?"

Xander frowned.

"The Watcher'll keep his gob shut and besides, if you do have a soul then it seems you'll get a 'get out of staking free card' anyway – at least with this Slayer."

"Y-you won't hurt him will you," Xander asked.

Spike rolled his eyes, "Not as long as he's helpful. Now GET DRESSED!"

Xander scrambled to do as he was told and was gingerly putting on his only slightly blood stained shoes when he asked, "Hey – why are you walking around? I thought you were in the special needs category now."

Spike grinned as he righted the wheelchair he'd left in front of the door, "Well I got better, didn't I? And we'll be keeping that little tidbit to ourselves, won't we?"

The blonde's eyes were hard as he stared at his Childe, daring the boy to defy him on this. He saw gold rim his brown eyes before Xander dropped his head and nodded.

"Good."

Spike was pleased by the display – the demon was there and was influencing the boy's behavior, it just wasn't the controlling spirit. The question was why not and how and – well there were lots of questions; questions Rupert Giles was going to help answer, or else.

The blonde settle into the wheelchair and smiled when Harry immediately came to his side – heeling like a proper Pet.

He motioned to Xander, "Keep that hood up and don't say anything to anyone unless I say so, do you hear me? If Angelus or Dru find out about you all three of us will be in for it – got it?"

The brunette nodded, pulling up the hood and dropping his head again.

"Right, lets get this over with then."

"Spike?" It was barely a whisper but Spike heard it.

"Yeah?"

"I'm hungry."

Now Spike grinned, the fledge had held out a lot longer than he'd thought possible.

"Well we can't have that now can we."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

In deference to his childe's possibly souled status and the horrified expression on his face when Spike suggested they find a snack at the Bronze, they detoured through one of the rougher Sunnydale neighborhoods and lucked up on a would-be rapist almost immediately.

Spike allowed the girl to run and quickly brought the young male attacker to his knees. The blonde held him there in the dark alley between two abandoned houses for the next thirty minutes while Xander dithered, babbled and argued.

Fed up with the whole production Spike snarled and Xander froze.

"What about the girl Xan, the girl that this trash was going to rape? What if that had been Willow pinned up against that wall? Or Cordelia?" Spike saw the gold enter Xander's chocolate eyes again and a ring of green around that. "What if it had been Harry?"

Xander roared and fell upon the human. Spike jumped back fully expecting the man to be torn apart but Xan merely sank his fangs in a bit… savagely and drank him dry.

The body dropped with a heavy thunk and Xander looked at it with stunned surprise, a small bead of blood sliding down his chin.

"Very nice luv," Spike praised. "Quick and clean." He bent over and wrenched the corpse's head to the side, breaking its neck. He stood and without thinking, leaned in to his childe and licked the blood off his chin.

He was shocked at himself for the action but just sat back down in his wheelchair. Whatever had possessed him, the move had shaken Xander out of his stupor.

"Now that that's sorted, let's go rouse the Watcher. Yeah?"

The two brunettes nodded mutely and followed him back out to the street.

* * *

"Why did you break his neck," Xander asked a few minutes later.

Spike glared over his shoulder at the hooded teen and snorted.

"Did this Watcher bloke teach you anything? Or is he more clueless than I thought? I'm beginning to think it might not be a good idea going to him for answers."

He saw Xander roll his eyes but didn't call the boy on it.

"Broke his neck so he didn't turn; can't be havin' a fledgling minion going around talkin' about you now can I?"

"But I didn't think that would do anything. I thought you had to let them rise and then kill them."

Spike laughed, "If that were true then vampires would have taken over the world ages ago. I mean think about it."

Xander didn't reply so Spike decided to start the education of his childe early. Usually the first few years of a childes life was simply behavioral training, with lots of negative reinforcement and no thinking involved. Obviously that was not going to be the case with this one.

"Vampires start off as bodiless demonic energy. They are summoned to this plane by the bodily fluids of other vampires – generally saliva or blood. Semen has been used but it's not reliable at all. Now 'The Turning'", here he even used air quotes, "is basically a condensed ritual and with all rituals the quality of the materials used determines the quality of the outcome."

"Saliva is one of the weakest bodily fluids there are and it therefore summons the weakest form of vampires – Minions. Saliva, however, is strong enough that it will _always_ create a vampire, but a weak and stupid one. Follow?"

"Yeah."

Xander sounded unsure but Spike couldn't decide if that was because he didn't understand or because it was a completely different concept than he'd been told. He didn't really care. The teen would either adjust and accept or… not.

"Now blood is the most powerful bodily fluid and therefore when it's fed to a bitten human, like you, it will also always summon a vampire spirit, a much stronger and smarter vampire than you could ever get with saliva."

"So there are two types of vampires?"

Spike nodded, "Masters, born of blood and Minions, born of saliva or just of the bite as the old ones like to say." Of course that's just how it worked for demonic vampires. There were other breeds but no need to confuse the boy.

"What does that have to do with breaking that guy's neck," Harry asked, breathing a bit heavily from pushing the chair.

"Minions are too week to heal a major injury like that so the demon won't enter the body, it'll just go back to where it came from."

Xander didn't say anything else, just continued to walk silently a little behind him and Harry.

Spike was fine with that, from what he'd heard from Angelus, the boy had a singular talent for talking… incessantly.

* * *

They arrived at the Watcher's apartment shortly after and Harry watched his friend pacing in from of the man's door and wring his hands.

Spike was sitting in his wheelchair smoking, a bored expression on his face.

Harry was surprised by the vampire's patience –

"Oi! Whelp! Knock on the door already or I'll burn the place down!"

Ok, semi patient?

"Fine, fine," the teen muttered, along with some other things Harry couldn't hear but Spike could if the smirk on the blonde's face was any indication.

It took the Watcher a moment but Harry could see the surprise on his face when he opened the door.

"Xander? What are you doing here?"

"Hi G-man, uh, um… I needed to talk to you about some stuff."

"Well co-"

"NO!" Xander shouted, startling the man so badly he dropped the book he'd been holding. "Things have, um… things have changed Giles."

Xander's chuckle was sad and it was at that moment that the Watcher caught sight of Spike.

"Good lord! Xander are you – "

"I'm a vampire."

Giles' face hardened, a deadly glint entered his blue eyes and Harry saw the man that few demons in Sunnydale would cross.

"I think you'd better leave now."

"But I've got questions – "

"I'm sure Spike," he spat the name, "is more that capable of answering them."

The heavy wooden door started to swing shut.

Harry sprinted past his friend and hit the door with a 'thunk', startling the watcher into dropping the crossbow he'd traded his book for.

"Xan's got a soul and he needs your help. You let Angel in here; you could at least listen to Xan. He could've just let you invite him in but he didn't. That should say something."

* * *

Spike was in game face, he couldn't help it. He didn't really think the Watcher would hurt a child but Harry was_ inside_ the apartment and neither vampire could reach him if the blonde was wrong.

Harry was a valuable asset and mystically tied to the vampire, if the older man took it into his head to do so he could hurt Spike through the boy; he wouldn't die, but Harry's death would make his run in with that burning organ look like a skinned knee.

Xander looked over his shoulder, probably hearing his low growl, and followed Spike's eyes to Harry.

"Harry, come back, you're being rude."

"But-"

"Now." Xander's voice was firm and Harry obeyed, reluctantly.

Had he really ever thought that the White Knight was stupid?

The teen pushed the Wizard back toward Spike and turned back to Giles, who was looking rather bewildered now, the murderous glint in his eyes banished by a skimp of a boy.

"Look Giles, much as I hate to say this, Spike isn't the bad guy here. He saved me, in a way. The swim team worked me over real good last night. I – I think I was dying."

"You were," Spike called with a smile, finger hooked into one of Harry's belt loops.

"Spike thinks I have a soul. I'd like it if you could help us figure out what happened – I'm apparently not a normal vampire."

"You got that right," Spike added, blatantly ignoring the twin glares from the young Vamp and Watcher.

Giles looked at the teen again.

"Did you say this all happened last night? Of course you did. I spoke with you just after school didn't I, and your appointment was at seven thirty… You woke up less than twenty-four hours after a turning?"

"Less than twelve," Spike supplied. "This morning he woke up screamin' and fightin' somethin' only he could see. He managed to get a few good licks in on me – stronger and faster than he should have been, almost as fast as me."

"His eyes kept changing colors during the fight – brown, black, gold, and green. Then they flashed white when Harry came into the room and Xander passed out. I thought he'd gone feral, wanted to dust him but Harry wouldn't let me."

"Fascinating," Giles murmured. The Watcher had grabbed a steno book and was busily taking notes.

"When he woke up again he was argumentative and disobedient. He also was in perfect control of his hunger. Took him a good hour to admit was hungry."

Giles looked at them over the tops of his glasses, "And what is Harry?"

Spike was silent.

"I need to know Spike. It would be foolish to make assumptions under the circumstances and a Master Vampire of your reputation is not about to nanny just any little boy."

"He's a Wizard – and he's my Pet!"

Giles eyes got wide but he quickly focused on the teen before him.

"Yes, well, I seriously doubt an untrained Wizard could have altered a turning – although accidental magic is always unpredictable." Giles pulled a barstool closer to the door and sat on it, "Have you any theories?"

"Spike thinks it might have something to do with my multiple possessions," Xander answered. "He says my smell has changed and between the eye thing and description of the scents we've identified the Hyena and the Soldier from Halloween. He can also smell the fish demon in me too. He says I smell similar to Angel – Angel Angel, not Angelus Angel.

"Smells like soul to me," Spike added. "There's something else in there too. It's dark, but it seems to come and go. As soon as I notice it it disappears before I get a good whiff of it. It makes me think of magic – though I can't figure out why it makes me think of magic."

Giles looked thoughtful, "And nothing unusual occurred during the turning?"

"He didn't have much blood left in 'em – only got a mouthful or two before I had to give him mine but that shouldn't have done anything – should have made him more obedient if anything."

Giles nodded but didn't look like he was listening. After a moment he asked, "You said you recognized the Hyena?"

Spike flicked his cigarette away, "Harry says it's Hyena. The whelp's eyes glowed green for a bit and he's got a musky animal tinge to his scent."

"Perhaps," Giles murmured before leaving the stool and going father into the living room, out of their line of sight.

Ten minutes later Spike was flicking the lid of his Zippo open and closed and seriously contemplating arson when an 'Ah-hah', rang out.

Spike arched an eyebrow at his boys as the Watcher wandered back to the door, heavy black leather bound tome in his hands.

"After your possession Xander I attained more books on the subject should something like that happen again and they've been most enlightening. In cross-referencing my notes and those of the zookeeper it looks as if the spell we used was meant to exorcise lesser demonic spirits. I didn't think that was a problem since you no longer appeared possessed."

The Watcher looked over his glasses again at the teen who ducked his head and shuffled his feet. "She was still there, just quiet. I didn't realize it at first, but occasionally she'd… she'd talk to me."

"She?"

"Yeah – she was most definitely a she."

"Xander, I have numerous written accounts of Hyena Primal Possession and they were clearly all by male spirits. Are you sure?"

Xander just looked at the man.

Giles cleared his throat, "Yes, well, anyway. The spell, quite simply gave the soul priority ownership of the body. Nothing can forcibly remove it, be it spell or demonic sprit. Since demons don't share, the lower spirits went back to their original hosts but yours… yours chose to stay for some reason."

"I'm just so popular with the demonic hunnies," Xander muttered scuffing the toe of his sneaker on the concrete step.

Giles blinked but didn't comment, "There's no indication of the spell's duration but given its structure and wording… it could well have been permanent. I'd say it's quite likely you do have a soul Xander."

The teen didn't look exactly thrilled by the information.

"What about his glowing eye trick," Spike asked.

"You said he seemed to be fighting and then his eyes flashed white and he passed out?"

"That's what I said."

"And you're sure he's a vampire?"

Spike grinned, "Oh yeah."

Giles crossed his arms, "Then I would hazard to guess that the demons merged with the soul."

"Is that even possible," Xander asked.

"Well there is precedent but it is usually precipitated by a lengthy ritual… perhaps…" Giles trailed off.

"Perhaps what Watcher," Spike prodded.

Giles blinked, "Well it's just occurred to me that the subjects of those rituals were unwilling participants. Perhaps in Xander's case the merger was voluntary… do you remember anything about what happened Xander?"

The teen shrugged but looked to be thinking about it, "Honestly I don't remember being awake at all between getting beat to death and Spike holding me in a naked headlock, and I didn't just say that," he blushed. "I dreamed a lot though."

"'bout what," Spike asked.

"Hyenas and fighting mostly. There were vampires and soldiers too now that I think about it. I was there, and we were all fighting each other in a swamp or something. It was all foggy and there was water up to my knees. We were all pretty banged up but nobody was winning… and then… and then I saw Harry and everything went white."

Giles looked at Harry and Spike pulled the boy closer to his chair but the Watcher turned back to Xander.

"What did you feel when you saw Harry? Angry? Afraid? Did you want to hurt him?"

Xanders head shot up, "Of course not! Never! I… I wanted to protect him, keep him safe. I'm all he's got now. I think the others wanted to protect him too…" Xander sounded unsure of that last.

"Have any of the other entities interacted with Harry before?" Giles sounded doubtful.

"Johnnie and Sundown both have."

"Who?"

"Sorry, Hyena and Soldier."

"And the vampire would recognize his Sire's Pet – they're both tied to me," Spike added.

Giles nodded, eyes darting between the three of them, "I'll have do more research but I believe that this is in fact a true merger of the soul with the other inhabitants of Xander's body and Harry was the catalyst that stopped them trying to destroy each other. It's even possible that feral vampires may be the result of similar anti-possession spells. They prevent the soul from leaving when the demonic spirit comes in so the two fight. The body's responses are therefore erratic and violent, which leads to the creature's eventual destruction."

Giles eyes were wide as he talked through his little magical epiphany – and truly it was an amazing discovery. While it was all theory, it was a very sound theory and would send shockwaves through the vampiric community; the 'why' of feral vampires.

But regardless, "Right then. Do your research and I'll check up on you in a few days, pick your brain and all that," Spike knew his grin was pure menace. "I trust you'll keep all this quiet then?"

"W-what?" Giles asked, pulling his glasses off and squinting at the blonde.

"Soul or no soul, boy bein' a vampire isn't exactly the kind of news that will help the Slayer's peace of mind, eh?"

Giles' expression hardened. "What do you suggest?"

"You're a smart bloke – make somthin' up. Wouldn't be the first time I'm sure. Tell 'em he's one to stay with relatives or somethin'."

Giles had that steely look in his eyes again – a glimpse at the real Giles peeking out from his bumbling librarian façade. He nodded.

Spike smirked, "Right then, come along boys."


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N__: All the dialogue in this chapter between Angelus/Spike/Drusilla is directly from the Episode 'Becoming Pt. 1', BTVS season 2._

**Chapter 9**

Harry and Spike were in the walled garden. Spike was reading the paper and had had the decency to give Harry the comics so the boy wouldn't be too bored.

The brunette would much rather have stayed in their room with Xander but Spike had insisted they spend more time out in the open - it would give Angelus less opportunities to find out about Xander and they'd all be safer for it.

Harry couldn't argue with that really.

Looking up from Hagar the Horrible he spotted Drusilla wandering into the garden.

"Nice walk pet," Spike asked.

"I met an old man. I didn't like him. He got all stuck in my teeth." She looked to the sky, her voice going dreamy," And then the moon started whispering to me; all sorts of dreadful things."

"It's a naughty moon," Spike drawled.

"What did it say," Angelus interrupted, appearing from nowhere.

That man needed a bell in Harry's opinion.

"Oh, look whose awake," Spike sneered not looking up from his paper.

Angelus ignored him, "What did the moon tell you? Did you have a vision? Is something coming?"

"Oh yes… something terrible," she crooned.

"Where?"

"At the museum. A tomb. With a surprise inside…"

Angelus had moved up to his childe as she spoke and caressed her head with his hand, "You can see all that in your head?"

"No you ninny, she read it in the morning paper." Spike tossed the paper toward the pair in disgust.

Angelus grabbed it with a glare at the blonde and then skimmed the article. Harry noticed that Dru actually looked slightly embarrassed.

It was times like this, times when Drusilla wasn't trying to kill him, when he thought he could almost see what his Master saw in the female vamp. But then, of course, she would try to kill him and that was the end of that.

"Oh, my…" Angelus breathed, a dangerous excitement growing in his eyes.

Drusilla circled her sire, looking over his shoulder at the paper, "Is that what's been whispering to me?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "Don't worry though, soon it'll stop." The older vampire looked at Spike, "Soon it'll scream."

* * *

Two hours later Spike and Harry had both eaten and Spike had spared a few minutes to allow Xan to feed from the blonde. The pair were in the living room where Dru and Angelus were directing the minions to bring in –

"It's a big rock," Spike sneered. "I can't wait to tell my friends. They don't have a rock this big."

Harry bit his lip to stop a giggle.

Angelus rolled his eyes but it seemed that not even Spike's snarkiness was going to ruin the big vamp's good mood. "Spike boy, you never did learn your history."

"Let's have a lesson then."

"Acathla the demon came forth to swallow the world. It was killed by a virtuous knight who pierced the demon's heart before it could draw breath to perform the act. Acathla turned to stone, as demons sometimes do, and was buried where neither man nor demon would be want to look. Unless they're putting up low rent housing. Boys?"

Two of the minions grabbed crowbars and worked at the sides of the 'rock' until the front separated and slammed to the floor with a resounding 'boom'. Dust filled the air making Harry and one of the newer minions cough.

Inside was a hole, and inside the hole… was the demon. Or Harry supposed it was the demon. It was large, and on two legs, but with it being stone and the horrible expression on its face – and the sword sticking out of its chest – it looked more like a stone gargoyle on an old church, just not as cool.

"Oooh, he fills my head…," Drusilla crooned, "I can't hear anything else…"

Angel approached the statue slowly and Harry was glad all he could see of the brunette was his back, he had a feeling the vamp's expression just might give him nightmares. Angelus had… a tone in his voice when he spoke of the demon that raised the hair on the backs of his arms.

"Let me guess," Spike broke the silence, "someone pulls out the sword-"

"Someone worthy," Angelus clarified.

" – the demon wakes up and wackiness ensues."

Drusilla was smiling, "He will swallow the world."

Harry moved closer to Spike's chair and the blonde petted his head.

"And every creature living on this planet will go to Hell. My friends, we're about to make history...," Angelus turned back to them, his expression making Harry cringe, "end."

* * *

Harry thought all the restaurants in Sunnydale that delivered had to be run by demons. It was the only explanation really. I mean who orders a pizza at eight-thirty in the morning besides the nefarious forces of darkness? He decided to ask Sarsuf about it later.

Meanwhile Angelus was killing the pizza boy while chanting in Latin. The vampire paced across the room, chanting, with the dead guy's blood on his hands; grabbing the sword he pulled…

… and nothing happened.

Blinding light filled the room and Harry slapped his hands over his eyes. He heard a noise, like electricity and then a thud but that's it.

"Someone wasn't worthy," Spike singsonged.

Cautiously Harry uncovered his eyes and watches a furious Angelus jump up from his undignified sprawl on the floor.

"The ritual! There must be something I missed. The incantations, the blood… Damn-it! I don't know…"

Angelus stalked back to the stone demon.

"This is so disappointing," Drusilla whined.

Harry thought she was going to have a tantrum but she seemed to be wary of her Sire's anger and only asked, "What are we going to do?"

"What we always do in a time of trouble. Turn to an old friend. We'll have our Armageddon, I swear." He grabbed an old vase from a pedestal and hurled it against the wall.

* * *

Back in their room Spike paced and Xander watched him pace from his perch on the bed… the teen was so unnerved by Spike's aggravation that his game face was out.

Harry had tried to get the blonde to explain what was going on but had gotten snarled at for his efforts. He'd filled Xan in a little bit but he didn't really understand it himself.

Spike stilled, head tilted off to the side as if listening to a voice only he could hear.

"Right," the blonde finally said, "we're going to get a bit of a lie down and them I'm going out. Dru and Angelus will be out too so you won't have much to worry about but I want you to lock yourselves in the bathroom anyway."

"But-"

"But nothing." Spike stalked over to Harry and lifted him by the front of his shirt until they were eye to eye. "You'll do exactly what you're told tonight, Pet. If you go and get yourself killed while I'm trying to get us all out of this mess I will find a way to bring you back so I can kill you in the most painful way possible – got it?"

Wide-eyed Harry nodded.

Spike dropped him and started pacing again while Harry scrambled back onto the bed and into Xander's arms. In his short stay with the blonde Harry had seen him angry, cautious, annoyed and glimpsed a dozen other emotions – but he'd never seen him scared until tonight.

Actually, scared wasn't the word for it. Spike was terrified.

"What's going on Sire," Xander finally asked, voice pitched low – calm even.

Spike snarled but stopped pacing. He stared at the pair huddled on the bed and sighed before settling on the edge of the mattress.

"Angelus is going to try to wake up a demon and destroy the world."

"S-shouldn't you be happy then?"

Spike snorted, "I like the world just fine as it is, thanks; people to kill, films to watch, books to read. What's there to do in Hell that's so great, hmmm?"

Harry though Xander looked like somebody had told him black was white and when it looked like he wasn't going to ask anything more the wizard spoke up.

"So what are we going to do?"

"We're leaving this pit. I'm going to cut a deal with the Slayer and you two are going to stay in that bathroom no matter what you hear outside. Understand?"

They nodded.

"Good. Now shut up and go to sleep."

* * *

Spike waited till an hour after sundown before herding his Childe and his Pet into the bathroom and threatening them with dire bodily harm if they got themselves killed before he came back to them.

He hit the streets looking for the Slayer. He headed for the school library first knowing that was where Dru and the minions were going to collect the Watcher and from all the cops on campus Spike supposed his princess had succeeded. Buffy should be lurking about close by – now he just had to find her.

He'd been deliberately vague with Xan and Harry about tonight. If Xan had found out Angelus' plans for the Watcher, the White Knight would have gone off and gotten himself and Harry killed with some harebrained rescue attempt. No, the Watcher would get tortured and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it – not that he really cared. He rather like a good spot of torture but Rupert… Rupert had a reputation for holding a grudge, and no one held a grudge like an Englishman.

Spike planned to get the hell out of dodge and hopefully the Watcher would have more interesting things to do than chase him down.

A heavy 'thump' and sliding noise had Spike jumping back away from the mouth of a nearby alley before he really registered the sounds.

"William the Bloody," a baritone voice hissed.

"Yeah," the blonde replied, his demonic face coming forward. Even his vampiric senses had a hard time penetrating the shadows that hid the creature, all he could really tell was that it was large, very large.

"I know your plans vampire."

"Good for you then." Spike turned away.

"Harry and the White Knight must not leave the protection of the Hellmouth."

Spike spun back around and the creature slid forward into the glow of the streetlamp. The human looking torso towered seven feet over his head, it's tail – twice that long – trailed down the alleyway; silver scales ran from head to tail tip while a thick strip of white hair bisected its bald head and hung nearly to the ground. It was a Kylar demon – a Leader Kylar.

The vampire sucked in a breath to tell it where to go but hesitated, the Kylar were not known for wasting their breath.

"What do you know about it," he finally asked.

"Harry and the White Knight cannot leave the protection of the Hellmouth."

"Whhhyyyy."

"Drusilla the Mad and the Order of the Phoenix."

"The Order of the who?"

"Phoenix."

"Who are they?"

The demon just looked at him, apparently he either couldn't or more likely wouldn't tell him everything.

"What happens if I take them away."

"Death."

"For me or for them?"

"Death."

"You're quite a helpful bloke aren't you? I can't very well stay here now can I?"

"No. You and Drusilla the Mad will leave. Harry and the White Knight will stay in our nest. We shall provide and teach until you claim them again."

"And when will that be then?"

"You will return in a year but reunite in two."

"What does that mean?"

Another silent stare.

"You'll teach?"

"All they'll need to know before you return."

Spike growled in frustration. He didn't want to leave his boys behind. The idea alone grated against everything he'd promised himself since Angelus and Darla had abandoned him and his Sire. They were his bloody family… but Dru was a danger to them. She was going to be enraged about being separated from her precious 'Daddy'. Harry was a child and Xander not much more than one yet…

"I'll be vistin' and checkin' up on them."

The demon nodded.

"I'll know if something happens and I'll hold you personally responsible for their safety."

The Kylar bowed, accepting his terms.

"Send them tonight, during the battle and all will be well William the Bloody, this I swear to you on the Eggs of my Nest."

Spike nodded and stalked away – he needed to kill something before he talked to the Slayer.

"Bollocks."


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Yay! Another chapter! And the end of Season 2 in Buffyland. __**Warning! There is questionable content in this chapter involving a minor.**__ I don't find it offensive but hey… apparently some folks have to be spoon-fed things… Hope you like it!_

_The conversation between Spike/Angelus/Dru, as well as the one between Xander/Giles are directly from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, episode 'Becoming Pt. 2'._

**Chapter 10**

Spike made it back to the mansion just in time to keep Angelus from using a chainsaw on the tightlipped Watcher. Looking at all the damage Spike was truly impressed. Angelus was no novice to torture and the fact that a mere human had withstood his favorite form of persuasion… bloody amazing really.

"You cut him up, you'll never get your answers," Spike points out.

Angelus was suspicious, "Exactly when did you become so level-headed?"

"Right about the time you became so pig-headed. You have your way with him; you'll never get to destroy the world. And I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet. There are other ways."

"Enlighten me."

Spike called out, "Drusilla… sweetheart…"

The female vampire wandered in, a dreamy expression on her face.

"Do you want to play a game?"

* * *

Drusilla extracted the information Angelus wanted with her usual 'enthralling' abilities, using the Watcher's own memories of the late Jenny Calendar against him. Angelus was practically giddy.

"The blood," he says. "Of course. The blood on my hands must be my own. I am the key that will open the door. My blood. My life." A moment later however the demon was back, "Okay, kill him."

"What if he's lying," Spike asked.

"Yeah, good point. All right, don't kill him. You know, I like having you watching my back, kind of like old times…" The bigger vampire clapped Spike on the shoulder and together they turned to Dru… to find her still kissing the enthralled Watcher.

"Uh, Drusilla," Spike calls.

"Honey," Angelus says, a bit more firmly.

She doesn't stop.

"We are finished here, ducks…"

She pulled away finally, looking slightly chastened, "Sorry… I was in the moment."

Spike saw Giles come out of the thrall and realize what'd happened but before he can make a sound Drusilla commanded him to sleep.

Angelus clapped Spike's shoulder again, a joyful whoop leaving him as the bigger vamp left the room.

Drusilla sighed blissfully and ran a gentle hand down the Watcher's cheek. "I'll have to show him my pretty new kitten… make the boys all soft and sweet…"

"What kitten?"

She frowned at him, still petting the Watcher.

"What kitten," Spike asked, raising his voice.

She snarled at him, fangs and gold eyes jumping to the fore before they melted back into a gleeful expression.

"Well you've got your boys and I'll have my girls. Your kitten and your pigeon will bow to my panther and my hawk."

"Who?"

"She locked Daddy in a cage, wanted him to burn."

"Kendra? You turned a bloody Slayer? Are you mad? Of course you're mad – bloody hell! Do you have any idea what you've done?"

She grinned, a mischievous, joyful expression that had never failed to stir Spike's blood – until tonight.

"I've set the stars to spinning, round and round they go. They whisper so many secrets I can't hear them all… now I won't be alone." She was frowning again, at him.

"Ah Dru, I'm not leaving you baby."

She didn't acknowledge him, just stood and licked the unconscious Watcher's blood off her hands as she left the room.

Spike shook off his shock and wheeled himself quickly back to his room. He was more relieved then he'd like to admit to find the boys where he'd left them.

"Right. We don't have much time and plans have changed. Be quiet and listen up."

They nodded.

"The Kylar Leader says you two can't leave but I've got to get Dru out of town or the Slayer will kill her. You're going to go straight to their nest – you know the way, right Harry?"

Another nod.

"Good, now from what the demon said it's going to be a while before I can come back for you – I don't know why and I don't like it."

Spike grabbed Harry's shirt and pulled the boy into the chair with him, warm back to cold chest. "Xander's in charge Harry, you do what he says and you will stay with him at all times. Another vamp won't hesitate to try to steal you from me – either by killing you or by replacing my mark and that's more likely to kill you than not."

"Yes, Master."

Spike let his demon emerge and bit into his own wrist. Holding the bloody wound to the boy's mouth he bit into Harry's small neck, taking a single large swallow.

The boy continued to lap delicately at the wound and Spike motioned Xander to kneel between their legs.

"You're to keep him safe Xan and keep his powers secret. The Kylar are going to teach you both but people might come for him when they realize how strong he is. Understand?"

"I guess."

Spike growled.

"I-I'll keep him safe. I'll keep him safe."

"Good." He motioned to the wound on Harry's neck, "Now drink."

"B-but-"

Spike snarled and both boys flinched. He grabbed Xander's hair with his free hand and jerked the boy into him and Harry. "You'll do as you're told boy! This will bind Harry and you together. Your demon will be able to feel him – to track him if you need to. It will also help hide the fact that his Master is out of the country. Sharing a Pet is an honor – one you haven't earned but I'm giving anyway because I trust you to do what's best for him. So you will bloody well shut up and drink a mouthful right now!"

* * *

Xander did as he was told and nearly dirtied his pants with his body's reaction to Harry's blood. God! It was no wonder Spike didn't want to let him go.

He was still basking when he felt pain at his neck and wrist. The pain was quickly replaced by that warm excitement he got whenever Cordy used to yank him into the janitor's closet – only better; much, much better.

A lazy blink showed him Harry sucking at his now bleeding wrist, Harry holding it with both of his own hands. Another blink revealed a pale white ear. Without thought his tongue flicked out, dampening the delicate skin before him. Xander heard a sound, a moan he supposed and felt the muscles of Spike's jaws moving against his own jaw. He tugged the earlobe with his teeth, the languid warmth from Harry's blood and Master's bite was giving him the strangest urges and the sparks from Harry's mouth on his wrist were also creating unusual… sensations.

Spike pulled back from his neck, eyes hooded and mouth slightly open. A drop of blood clung to his lip and Xander couldn't stop himself from licking it off… kissing it off… and then Spike's tongue was in his mouth and he could taste himself and Harry… and then he bit Spike's lip and Spike moaned and there was more blood and it was Sire's blood and the kissing and… and… and…

… and he needed to change his pants.

* * *

Spike pulled away from his childe and allowed Harry to slide from his lap to Xander's arms.

His boys were both blissed out and absolutely beautiful. Xander was panting, on his knees, eyes closed with Harry's head against his chest and his first – truly his first, Spike could smell the purity of it – orgasm dampening the front of his sweat pants.

Harry was pink checked and only semiconscious from the rush of so much vampiric blood. He probably shouldn't have let the boy drink so much but he'd needed to bind the three of them together as close as possible in what little time they had.

Gently he took Xander's human face in his hands, pleased by the rim of gold still present around the teen's eyes.

"Xan – I need you to listen to me."

The teen blinked, eyes slowly focusing.

Spike ran a hand through the brunette's hair, an indulgent smile on his face, "You and Harry will need to exchange blood like this at least once a month, just a few swallows each, yeah?"

The gold faded from Xander's eyes and with a nod he pulled Harry closer to him.

"I'll keep him safe, Sire. I swear it."

"Good lad, I never doubted you would. Now we're got to get moving. Here is a pre-paid cell phone – I've got the mate and the numbers are programmed in already. Not sure how reliable they'll be but keep it on ya and keep it charged. Got it?" He didn't wait for an answer, "Now you two go to the room at the end of the hall – Watcher's in there and he's in pretty rough shape. Drop him out front and use your phone to call an ambulance for him. It's dawn now so you'll have to use the sewers to get the nest. Can you find it from the sewers Harry?"

The boy considered it a moment and then slowly nodded.

Running a hand over each of their cheeks Spike spun the chair and wheeled himself out of the room, "Good! Now get!"

* * *

They found Giles right where Spike said they would. Harry watched the hall for any wandering minions while Xander went to untie the badly beaten man.

"Giles. Giles!"

"Xander?"

"Can you walk?"

"You're not real…"

"I am too real! Let's go!"

"It's a trick! They get inside my head; make me see what I want."

Xander untied the knots then looked directly into his eyes, "Then why would they make you see me?"

"Right. Let's go."

With the sun up Xander could only help support Giles to the side door of the mansion. Harry helped him halfway down the driveway before Giles finally collapsed, luckily in the grass as Spike sped down it and away in his battered Desoto not a minute later, windows painted black against the sun. Harry stood on the edge of the driveway and they watched the car disappear. He didn't know what his friend was thinking but Xander was scared.

Xander made himself move, pulling out the cell phone and calling an ambulance for Giles in the few moments it took Harry to jog back to the house.

* * *

The sewer entrance was just down the hall but it was past the main room, a wide archway into the room would make them visible to the combatants inside for a few seconds.

They were just going to have to risk it – hopefully nobody would notice them, or care if they did.

They were just making a run for it when a bright flash of light stopped them in their tracks.

Xander turned his head and saw the red swirling vortex, the portal to hell, opening… silhouetting the fighting Buffy and Angelus.

The teen couldn't make himself leave, couldn't look away except to glance down to make sure Harry was still with him. Harry seemed to be in the same boat as him, frozen, watching the end of the world.

Suddenly Angelus froze and dropped to the ground. The vampire looked shocked, then confused. Buffy went from angry to a shocked happiness.

There were words between the two but Xander couldn't hear them – the rumbling of the vortex filled his ears to the exclusion of all else.

The pair embraced, and then separated. Angelus closed his eyes… and then Buffy stabbed him with the sword.

"Only blood can stop it," Harry whispered and Xander was surprised he could hear the boy and that he'd figured out what was going on.

Angelus had opened the portal and only the vampire could close it.

Buffy was crying and Angelus looked shocked – shocked but not angry. He threw out his hand.

There were more words and Xander could feel the pull of the vortex starting to draw things to it.

Buffy grabbed the vampire's hand.

There was another flash of light.

The vortex was gone.

And so was Angelus… _and_ Buffy.

"Oh, god," Xander whispered and was startled by his voice echoing back in the empty and now silent room. "Oh, god."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

They'd been in the Kylar nest for a month.

It had been a month since Buffy and Angel were sucked into Hell.

A month since Kendra died.

A month since Spike left.

Harry had just gotten a set of tattoos that the Kylar Leader had told them would help Harry access his magic. They would act like a wand, which apparently Wizards needed in order to do spells. Xander had been skeptical until the explosion of magic that detonated from his friend at the end of the tattoo ritual had washed through the caverns knocking Harry unconscious and leaving the Kylars completely blissed out.

Xander had had to take a shower afterwards but instead of being barely coherent like their snakey hosts, Xander was charged up and ready to _do_ something… anything…

So he had gone out.

It was late enough that he didn't have to worry about crossing paths with Giles or any of the other Scoobies. Granted he wasn't sure if Giles was patrolling in his Slayer's stead but it seemed like something he would do.

Xander had called Giles when the older man had gotten out of the hospital and told him about Buffy and Angel being sucked into Acathla's portal. The Watcher had immediately started searching for a way to bring her back but between the lack of phone calls and the devastated look in the man's eyes every time Xander caught a glimpse of him… the didn't hold out much hope.

Walking a lazy circuit of town he was surprised to see Giles' battered car in Joyce Summer's driveway – all the lights in the house were off.

"Go G-man," Xan said to himself.

Willow's house was similarly dark but Cordelia's was lit like a Christmas tree. Cars lined the street and he could hear the faint sounds of some instrumental music. Seeing the place made Xander's guilt swirl up to the surface. He'd spoke with Giles a couple of times, even called Willow after he was supposedly shipped off to LA with a new guardian, but he hadn't called Cordelia… hadn't even written to her.

His first and probably last girlfriend.

He walked on.

He really should call her… writing would probably save his hearing though.

Funnily enough, thinking about Cordy made him think of Spike. The cheerleader may be the Queen of Snark, but Spike was the undisputed King. They were a lot alike really, excepting the skirts and cleavage of course, and he'd pay to see a snark-off between the two.

He missed his Sire.

He was coming back into town and passing Restfield Cemetery when he heard it – the sound of a fight… a pretty intense fight actually.

Pulling the stake from his back pocket he ran towards the sounds… and froze not ten feet from the brawlers.

…and dropped his stake…

…and gaped like a fish…

The girl – at least he thought it was a girl – moved among the four, seven-foot-tall armored demons like they were dancing with her… instead of trying to kill her.

Xander saw a flash and realized that she had a dagger in each hand and where she danced, blood covered the ground.

A jump, a twirl, and four pained screeches later… and the four demons fell to the ground dead.

She stood there, naked, her long tangled braids her only covering and they didn't hide much even in the dim light of the moon. She was dirty and bleeding in several places. Her hands hung at her sides but he could still see the deadly curved blades she held.

Then she lifted her face.

"Kendra?"

She cocked her head to the side but didn't reply.

"Kendra, it's Xander. Do you remember me?" He moved closer to the naked girl slowly, trying not to spook her. He was within arms reach she lunged at him, taking them both to the ground, straddling his hips – a knife at his throat.

She stared at him hard, vampiric features exposed.

"Kendra, it's me. It's Xander. Buffy's friend. Remember?"

She growled.

He growled back – and nearly passed out when he realized what he'd done. He hadn't meant to growl. Who growls?

The knife disappeared and she looked puzzled now.

Xander was afraid to move.

Slowly she moved closer, lowering herself until she was laying on him.

"K-Kendra? Ummm…"

The vampire slayer's face was at his throat and he could hear her inhaling, sniffing him.

He couldn't decide if he should try to get her off of him… or faint – in a totally manly way of course.

Purring.

He could hear purring.

"Xander," Kendra rumbled, her voice rough.

He smiled. "Yeah Kendra, it's me." Carefully he lifted his arms and hugged the girl.

The purring got louder and she moved in a way that made his teenaged body take notice.

He cleared his throat. "We need to get you cleaned up and… and clothes would probably be good too." He tried to slide out from under her but she growled again, arms and legs tightening around him. "O-okay. It can wait a bit I suppose."

"Xander," she purred again.

The brunette hugged her again, "Yeah. It's good to see you again too Kendra."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Kendra had come back to the Kylar nest with Xander and their hosts had not batted an eye. Kendra on the other hand had been clearly unhappy with the arrangements. It was only through much cajoling – which he wasn't even sure she had understood – and the appearance of Harry that she even came into the nest.

Harry continued to amaze him.

The boy had been half asleep when Xander and Kendra had returned to the nest and after an hour of listening to Xander beg and Kendra snarl Harry had simply walked up to the strange vampire, taken her hand and led her to their room – or rather fur blanket filled cavern.

Kendra had just quietly followed him, curled around the boy in the furs and promptly gone to sleep. Thoroughly confused Xander had stared in shock until he'd finally sighed and curled up wit the pair.

* * *

Later that week Giles called.

The new Slayer had arrived.

* * *

Xander and Kendra had followed Giles and the new Slayer – Faith, her name was – on their first patrol tonight, unbeknownst to the mortal pair.

"I stayed well back G-man, besides, I needed to know who she is if I'm going to avoid her, right?"

Giles sighed into the phone, "I suppose, but Xander – "

"She seems a little out there Giles – I mean you would have been vamp chow if I hadn't been there and she was so busy flattening that fledge's face she wouldn't have noticed."

Giles cleared his throat, "Yes. Quite… thank you for that by the way."

"No problems G-man, but seriously, she needs some help, and so do you until she gets her head together. Call me before you guys go out again okay? I promise I'll keep out of the way, just… well a second pair of eyes never hurt anything, did it."

Giles sighed again, "Very well."

"Cool, and… um… Giles…"

"What is it Xander?"

"Have… have you ever heard of a Slayer becoming a vampire?"

"I've heard of attempts, Master Vampires in particular have tried it at various times in history but the… the body never rises. It is believed that the essence of the Slayer prevents the demon from entering the body. Is there a reason you would ask?"

"It's… It's Kendra – she's a vampire."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

The vampire in question lay with her head in his lap, curled around a sleeping Harry. She wasn't asleep, just contentedly dozing while Xander talked on the phone and played with the braids in her hair.

"She's not like a normal vampire though Giles. When I found her she was completely naked but she'd found weapons, some knives, and she'd sharpened up some stakes."

"She doesn't talk and she won't feed off humans. I didn't realize it at first, but she was starving to death when I found her and it took forever to convince her to feed from me. I've even tried to get her to feed off a random fledge or two but apparently it's me or nothing. I don't know if it's because she knew me before or if it's a freaky vampire family thing. Since Dru killed her she's like my aunt… or something."

"So is she staying with you then?''

"Yeah. The Kylar didn't seem surprised. I guess Leader _saw_ it, what with him seeing the future and all."

"And how did she react to Harry?"

"Oh she loves the little guy. Watches everything he does when we're home and the only time she'll sleep is when he does."

"And Harry?"

"I think he was a little weirded out at first, she's really touchy-feely, but he seems to have gotten used to it."

"And besides Kendra, how is he doing?"

"Pretty good. The Kylar are teaching him magic and when that doesn't wear him out too bad he gets in on my self defense and vamp lessons."

"Vamp lessons?"

"Yeah. They're teaching me vampire lore and traditions and stuff. Stuff Spike's supposed to make sure I learn but can't since he had to leave. It's actually pretty fascinating stuff – there's a lot more to them then just 'see human, kill human.'"

Giles cleared his throat, "Perhaps we could talk about it some time?"

Xander didn't even hesitate, "I'll have to check with Spike first, but I think it'd be fun if he'll let me."

"Ah. I see."

"The Kylar have been working Harry pretty hard though. Luckily he's got tonight off so I think we'll just hang out in the nest and relax. Maybe watch a movie on the portable DVD player I got last week… unless you and Faith are going out tonight?"

"N-no. Not tonight. I believe we will just talk tonight. How about tomorrow? We'll head out from the school a few minutes after sundown and head east."

"Sounds good G-man… so what do you think about Kendra?"

Giles sighed, "I really don't know what to tell you Xander. I'll do some checking but to my knowledge such a thing has never happened before. It may well have been because there were two active Slayers when it happened… have you talked to Spike?"

"No, not since he left. I know it's silly but I miss him Giles. I really wish he was here to tell me what to do."

"Oh… ah… well."

"I know Giles – freaky vampire TMI. Sorry."

"As am I Xander."

"Thanks for listening – I know I give you the wiggins now."

"Xander it's not you – "

"Goodnight Giles."

Xander hit the end button and stared at the cell phone in his hand. It wasn't Giles' fault – he was trying, he really was. Most of the time when they talked, everything was fine; it was almost like Giles forgot he was a vampire and then suddenly reality hit him over the head and he _knew_ he was talking with a vamp. Then he'd freeze up and get all awkward.

"Oh well," he caressed Kendra's braids again. "At least he wasn't all 'get out of the house' panicky over you being here Kenny."

She just purred in response and rubbed against his hand.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Sorry this took so long – I've had it written forever but I wasn't happy with it… until I typed it tonight… then it got better for some strange reason… I don't know. Anyway, some folks have made comments about Harry's tattoos, have no fear, how the tattoos will react to Harry using a wand will come up later in the story. We've got to get through Buffy season 3 first tho'. And that's as much as I'm going to give away right now._

**Chapter 13**

Harry jogged quietly behind Xander down the empty street. Kendra was somewhere out in the darkness around them though he couldn't pinpoint where.

Tonight was going spectacularly wrong.

The Kylar had let him out of his lessons again tonight and he'd decided to tag along with Xan and Kenny as they followed Giles around. They'd run late so it was full dark by the time the trio had shown up at Sunnydale High. They'd headed east as Giles had told them but had not found Faith or Giles.

That's when Xander realized that not only had they not found the Slayer or the Watcher… they also had not seen a single vampire, or even another demon.

There was no one on the streets tonight.

They continued east, heading into the warehouse district with Kendra prowling further and further a field. Xander was completely quiet, moving furtively, eyes scanning every shadow.

Harry had never seen the teen this intense – even in his training with the Warrior Kylar.

There was a shout ahead and Harry heard Kendra's distinctive lion-like roar.

"Shit," Xander hissed before snatching Harry up into his arms and jumping straight up to grapple his way onto a fire escape.

"Stay here buddy – I'll be right back," Xander said.

"But –," but the other boy was already gone. Harry harrumphed and settled back against the steel balcony.

A moment later he could hear the sounds of fighting… lots of fighting.

"Well screw this," Harry muttered kicking at the fire escape until the ladder released. He slapped his hands over his ears when the metal screamed in protest. After a minute he cautiously lowered his hands and looked around. He could still hear the fight and so far no other predators had been drawn by the noise so…

He climbed down the ladder and made his way toward the fight sounds.

Peering through a hole in a mostly shattered door Harry saw Xander, Kendra, and Giles fighting several minions – they were out numbered but they seemed to be holding their own.

Then a brunette girl stumbled backwards into his view. Faith, he supposed, though he'd never thought he'd see such a look of terror on a Slayer's face of all people.

Then he saw the vampire following her. Or at least he thought it was a vampire. It was twice the girl's height with cloven hooves for hands and feet. Maybe it was a devil?

It said something to the girl and Harry watched her fear change to anger. She grabbed a broken support beam, almost the size of a telephone pole and hurled it at the creature, piercing its chest and turning it to dust.

The minions scattered and everyone else was left frozen for a moment.

Then Faith was leaping at the game-faced Xander.

"No," Harry screamed, throwing out his hand.

Faith froze.

In mid-leap.

Three feet off the ground.

Giles cleared his throat and pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. "I see Harry's education is coming right along then."

Xander blinked, "Um… yeah."

Harry stepped through the doors and moved around in front of the floating Slayer. "Hi Giles," he waved to the Watcher who smiled and nodded. "Hello Faith. I'm going to unfreeze you now but you can't hurt Xander and Kendra. They're friends and they just helped you out, yeah?"

The expression on Faith's face didn't change, she was frozen after all, but Harry waved his hand again and the Slayer dropped gracefully to her feet.

"What's going on Watcher-man, you workin' with the vamps now?"

The disgusted look on the girl's face irritated Harry but he kept his peace and moved backwards to his family.

"Ah, Faith. This is Xander Harris, Kendra, and Harry Potter."

"Xander? Willow's Xander? Oh this is messed up!"

"Now Faith let me explain. Willow does not know about Xander's… lifestyle change -,"

"Lifestyle change!"

"- for good reason. Besides which Xander has a soul, a permanent soul, and is completely unlike the Vampires you and I are used to."

Faith's lip curled, "Uh-huh."

Giles huffed, "Regardless of your opinion on the matter, Xander is a trusted ally. He and Kendra saved our lives tonight and you will respect that and my wishes in this matter."

Faith looked shocked and Giles sighed.

"Faith, Xander was- is – a good friend, not only to myself, but to Buffy and Willow. He was possessed and altered several times magically while helping Buffy do her job. I can honestly say that Buffy would have died a full year earlier than– than she did if not for Xanders bravery. He was beaten and left for dead by the school's swim team after he helped save their lives and he was then turned into a vampire. His exposure to so much magic allowed him to keep his soul. Unlike other vampires he is still himself."

"And the kid?"

"Harry is bound magically to the vampire that made Xander. Harry is a Wizard and Kendra…"

"Kendra was a Slayer right?"

"Quite. We thought Drusilla had killed her but apparently there was a bit more to it… Kendra is the first recorded Slayer to ever be turned into a Vampire."

"And you're fine with that?"

"No, I am bloody well not 'fine' with that, but Xander says she was starving to death when he found her. She has refused to feed at all except from his own veins and has helped him keep the vampire population under control while there has been no Slayer to do it. She has earned a reprieve as far as I am concerned."

"Xander says, huh. Seems to me you're taking a lot on faith here Watcher-man – no pun intended."

"Perhaps – but unlike some, Xander has not lied to me."

Faiths head jerked, like she'd been slapped, but the arguments dried up.

"Thank you for your help Xander, Kendra – and Harry."

"No problem G-man. Thanks for all the good press there." Xander sounded more than a little shocked to Harry's ears.

"I would not have said it if I did not mean it… In truth I have not said it enough. You were a wonderful young man in life and… and now in death I hope to continue to know the vampire you are and shall become."

Xander blinked.

"Wow. I mean… wow Giles."

Then the teen embraced the Watcher… and Giles hugged him back. The two released each other after a moment and both looked slightly flustered.

Harry laughed at the sight.

"Ah Harry," Giles said, "excellent spellwork there."

Harry grinned, "Thank you Mister Giles."

"Xander says the Kylar gave you tattoos?"

"Yeah," Harry moved closer and held out his arms.

"Oh my! They look like you're wearing actual bracelets, made from twigs!"

"Yeah, they're totally cool. If you look real close there are these tiny little snakes. They're hard to find though… I think they move."

"Fascinating," Giles murmured cradling Harry's left wrist as he studied the tattoo. "And they act as a wand? They focus your magic?"

"Uh-huh."

"Do you still have to say the spells?"

"For now – my teacher says eventually I won't have to."

"In Latin?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes any word with the right meaning will work, sometimes its snake language. Just depends."

"Fascinating."

Now it was Xander's turn to laugh. "Ok boys, much as I hate to break this up, Faith could probably use some patching up and you were supposed to be resting Harry."

"Alright, alright," Harry groaned.

"We'll see you later Giles, call if you need anything."

"I will."

"Nice meeting you Faith."

"Yeah…"

Harry couldn't help but notice that Faith still looked shell shocked as the trio watched the Slayer and Watcher exit the building ten minutes later… and still later when she entered Missus Summers living room.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Xander was on the prowl, someone or something was killing high school boys – ripping them to shreds really. The victims looked more like werewolf leftovers but there had been one body a week for the last three weeks so…

Not werewolf.

So here he was in the park, at three in the morning, looking for some sort of beastie with anger management issues.

"And why does a town this size have so many parks anyway? I mean, seriously, there's like twenty of them! And with thirty-seven cemeteries how exactly is there room for the houses? Maybe Hellmouth rules are like Looney Toons rules…"

Something darted through the trees to his left and Xander froze. Slowly turning his head he let his demon face slide forward, illuminating the forest with its much better night vision.

He could make out a figure, small and crouched behind a tree – he wouldn't have spotted it but it would dart its head out to look in his direction.

"Here kitty, kitty," Xander called softly, slowly sliding into the trees toward whatever it was. It didn't move and Xander kept saying nonsensical pet type things to it.

Finally he was within a few feet of it… and five things happened at once.

One – The moon came out, flooding the small area with light.

Two – The creature stood up.

Three – Xander's brain recognized a _very_ naked Buffy Summers.

Four – A roar came from behind him.

Five – Blackness.

* * *

Xander woke with a groan and the familiar haziness of head trauma – and wasn't if funny that death didn't seem to affect that little quirk of human physiology?

A broad hand pressed on Xander's back, keeping him pinned to the ground, and a growl sounded in his ear. Xander went limp… he was pretty sure that was not a normal response to this sort of situation but his inner vamp seemed to be in control at the moment and it said 'go limp.'

Amazingly it seemed to work. The growling stopped, the creature chuffed and sniffed around his neck and head for a bit before it backed up enough for Xander's left eye to make out his captor.

"Angel!" It was a squeak but the bigger vampire continued moving away, seeming content with Xander's earlier show of submission.

Slowly Xander rolled to his side, eyes following the other vampire – and oh god he needed eye bleach for the nakedness! – until he settled next to Buffy.

They were in a cave and the pair had whipped up a cozy little fire. Xander was trying to stare at the flames – 'cause you know, naked girl of his dreams sitting next to equally naked rival for said girl's affections…

Though he didn't seem to be having that whole dream girl vibe anymore, and when did that happen exactly?

He glanced up at her again and found her staring at him – with golden eyes. Xander ducked his head and Buffy went back to cuddling Angel.

She had yellow eyes… but she had a heart beat; he could hear it now, although it did seem slightly faster than a human's.

What did it mean?

He tried to concentrate his vampire senses like his trainer had been telling him to do but it was difficult. He learned everything the Kylar demonstrated to him but he had a hard time with the mojo-ish side of things. If he couldn't see it or touch it then it didn't seem to stick in his head. But he tried. There was something about this he was supposed to know, he could feel it, he just had to figure it out.

He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on his jean-clad knees, feeling the heat of the fire wrap around him. He concentrated on that for awhile, enjoying the warmth and slowing his breathing. When he felt ready he reached out to that part of him that was vampire. It was like stretching a muscle you didn't know you had because you'd never had to use it before.

He stretched and found… his vampire. Oh the demon was part of him but this was the first time he'd consciously delved into that part of himself and it was like discovering the world all over again. Sure, before he'd used the vampire hearing to find prey and such but now there was _knowledge_ attached to all that sensory input.

The knowledge that Angel was family, was Sire's Sire and that Buffy was… Buffy was Angel's claimed mate – still human, mostly, but sharing the power of Angel's own demon.

He hadn't known such a thing was possible.

Xander also now knew how to approach the pair – they were almost purely in the control of their demon at this point. Their journey to whatever Hell dimension they'd been sent to had pushed back their human personality and the boy prayed they hadn't lost it completely.

Slowly he crawled to the pair, approaching on Angel's right – away from Buffy. He did not need his Grandsire thinking he was making a play for the bigger vamp's mate, no sir-ee.

Angel growled and Xander froze; baring his throat he gave a small whimper.

When Angel didn't growl again Xander moved closer until he was almost touching the other man and then he waited.

After a few minutes Angel stood up on his knees and made a huffing noise.

Xander whined again.

Angel sniffed him, drawing long lung fulls of air into himself – imprinting the scent – and then, so fast it didn't register at first, Angel struck; fangs going deep into the boy's exposed neck.

Xander whimpered involuntarily this time, the sensations overwhelming him. He felt himself get hard and he moved closer to the bigger vamp. Angel helped, muscled arms wrapping around him, pulling them tightly together. Xander's hips were pumping in the air, automatically seeking friction and Angel slid a thigh between the younger vamps knees to accommodate him.

Xander moaned as he came and Angel finally released his neck. He watched the bigger vamp use a claw to slice open the skin above his own heart and then the hand still supporting Xander's head pulled him forward to the wound.

Xander moaned again and drank. Angel was the Master of their bloodline and he was accepting Xander into the family. He felt an anxious knot in his stomach that he hadn't even been aware of release.

He'd been accepted.

He had a family.

Now if only Spike would just come home…


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Check it out! I'm not dead!_

**Chapter 15**

Xander spent that night in the cave with Angel and Buffy, too exhausted to do much more than cuddle up to the bigger vampire and doze. Angel seemed to take this in stride, merely wrapping one arm around him and the other around his mate.

Of course that meant when he returned home the following evening that Harry and Kendra were absolutely frantic and even the Kylar's assurances of his good health hadn't calmed them. The pair basically tackled him, dragging him to the cushioned floor of their nest. Harry wrapped himself around Xander's chest, arms around his neck and legs around his waist while Kendra pressed against his back, running her hands everywhere she could reach and sniffing him.

"Shhh, shhh. It's alright guys. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Xander crooned using one arm to pull Harry closer and twisting the other behind him to catch the back of Kendra's neck. "I'm fine and we're safe. Shhh."

It took quite awhile but finally Harry relaxed and Kendra curled up quietly beside them, her head resting on Xander's upraised knee.

"Where were you," Harry asked.

"I ran into Angel and Buffy last night – somehow they got out of that Hell dimension Acathla's portal dropped them into. I didn't even know that was possible, but hey, there they are. I wound up spending the night in a cave with them, but they're not right. They're more like Kendra was before we found her – all wild and Tarzan-like," he teased, tugging on one of the girl's neat braids.

"Buffy's a vampire now?" Harry asked.

Xander shook his head. "No. She's bound to Angel. Kind of like you are to Spike, only more; she shares his demon but she's still human – mostly anyway.

Harry still looked a little puzzled but he couldn't explain it any better than that. His vampire senses told him a lot; he just didn't have the actual words to go with that information so really he was just as confused as Harry – only he felt better about it.

"What are we going to do? I don't think the Kylar will let us bring more vampires into their lair."

"I didn't think so either. I'd like to see if we can get them set up at the Crawford Street mansion. It's familiar to both of them and maybe living in an actual house will help them remember how to be people again, if they can." Xander replied.

Harry nodded.

Two hours later the three of them approached the cave cautiously; Xander and Harry talking about the boy's magic lessons so that Buffy and Angel would have warning of their coming. The pair were crouched by the entrance, Buffy slightly behind Angel but not by much.

Xander dropped to his knees and crawled to Angel, once again only stopping a hairsbreadth from the bigger vampire. He was only still for a moment before Angel ran a hand through his hair, reaffirming their connection and his acceptance into the Clan. Without moving away, Xander motioned to Harry who followed the example but paused a bit further away from his Master's Sire.

Angel studied the boy critically, and then leaned forward onto his hands to snuffle the boy's neck. Apparently satisfied, Angel simply licked the boy's neck and motioned him and Xander into the cave.

The pair moved back but not very far; Xander was worried about Angel's reaction to Kendra.

The dark girl had her head cocked as she watched the goings on, studying them all carefully. Xander had explained what was expected – or at least what had worked for him – but he could never be sure how much of what he said was actually understood by the other vampire.

He just hoped this didn't lead to one them getting hurt… or dusted.

Holy crap this was a bad idea.

Kendra approached their Grandsire on foot and did not lower her eyes. She dropped to her knees directly in front of him but since Angel was crouched this put them eye to eye.

Xander wanted to scream – wanted to grab Harry and Kendra and run. This was bad. This was so bad!

Angel growled and Kendra growled right back.

The darker vampire quirked her head to the side in a challenge and Angel chuffed slightly.

Xander didn't understand what was going on but apparently they were working something out… then Buffy leapt at the other girl with a snarl.

The pair grappled in the sand at the cave entrance; snarling, growling, slapping, punching, hair pulling…

Holy hand grenade – it was a bloodsucking cat fight.

Xander was beside himself. Part of him was absolutely terrified that one of them would lose and be dusted while the other part… was so turned on it hurt.

Angel just stayed crouched at the entrance with a smirk on his face.

Xander watched the fight and slowly realized that as vicious as the whole thing looked, neither girl was reaching for a weapon of any sort. They were drawing blood, but only with teeth or claws; and that's when he realized it wasn't a 'fight' fight. It was a dominance issue between females and he was fairly sure that the winner got Angel.

The big vamp didn't seem concerned and as the pair fought Xander could see why. Kendra was good but Buffy was better, way better in fact. The blonde actually seemed to be drawing the fight out, letting the other Slayer get in a few extra hits here and there. Eventually she ended the game though; crouching on the exhausted vampire's chest she looked to Angel who joined her over the prone form. The pair kissed and then struck, taking blood from either side of Kendra's neck.

Xander was stunned and it wasn't until Harry shifted next to him that he realized that things were getting a bit beyond PG-13. He quickly and awkwardly jumped to his feet, pulling his friend deeper into the cave far enough that young eyes and ears wouldn't be traumatized by the goings on outside.

Of course that didn't help _him_ much. His vampiric senses made sure he was aware of every moan, groan, growl and gasp outside. Not to mention the _scent_…

Thankfully Harry was content use a light spell to explore further into the cavern and paid no attention to the teen who was hunched over himself staring at a wall.

Finally it grew quiet outside and Xander could breathe again. He stood there awhile longer letting the coolness of the stone around them seep inside of him and got himself under control.

"Come Harry – I think the coast is clear now."

"But Xan there's this really neat carving on this wall."

"Not tonight buddy." Xander didn't want to tell him that he was so embarrassed about what happened outside and his reaction to it that he really just wanted to go home and hide some more. He wasn't sure why he was so bothered by it – he'd practically gotten it on with Angel himself last night - but for some reason having Harry so close made him feel dirtybadwrong. Again, that didn't really make sense given what had happened when Spike had bound the three of them together… but he felt the way he felt dang it and he wanted to go. "Let's go. I'm tired and it's not going to be easy to get them to the mansion."

Harry frowned but nodded, following him back to the entrance of the cave.

And it turned out that Xander was wrong. It was very easy to get Buffy and Angel to the mansion. In fact they seemed rather happy about the whole thing, bouncing up and down on the dusty king size bed in the master suite like a couple of kids. Well… three kids since Kendra seemed to fit right into their strange little dynamic and when it got close to dawn, the dark girl snuggled right into their arms, Angel on one side and Buffy on the other. From the heated looks that passed between the two Xander guessed that Kendra would not be returning to the Kylar lair anytime soon.

Xander suddenly felt very, very alone and he hugged Harry tighter to him as they returned to the nest.

He wished Spike would come back.


End file.
